Helen’s Story: Staying connected after her son sustained a spinal cord injury

3 November 2026

Meet Helen

• Has always loved sport and enjoys Pilates, playing hockey and going to the gym
• Works in event fundraising for a prominent UK charity
• Believes in the power of connecting with people who understand what you’re going through

Harry, Helen’s son, sustained an incomplete C5 level spinal cord injury playing rugby for university, just over ten months ago, aged 21. After spending over a month in intensive care in Sheffield following his accident, Harry was offered a place at the city’s spinal unit. Helen made the move from Northamptonshire to Sheffield so she could support Harry throughout his rehabilitation.

“I saw a poster about Back Up’s family support afternoon at the spinal unit and went along. Before Harry’s injury, I didn’t know much about spinal cord injury, so those early days felt so overwhelming. At the family support session, I heard from consultants, dieticians and physiotherapists, which was so helpful. Dom from the family support team then followed up with me, which was invaluable because I could talk to someone who understood what I was going through.”

Dom shared the poem Welcome to Holland, by Emily Perl Kingsley with Helen. “I really connected to this poem. To me, it says it’s okay to grieve the life you thought your child was going to have. It validates all the different emotions I feel, whilst also reframing what’s happened.”

Helen found that speaking to Back Up meant she could connect with people who really understood her experience. “I’m so grateful to my family and friends for their support. But speaking to the team at Back Up offered me something different. The team understood all the uncertainty, and the practical and emotional implications that come with spinal cord injury because they’ve experienced it themselves, and that made such a difference.”

When Harry returned home after five months, Helen was matched with a Back Up mentor whose daughter had also sustained a spinal cord injury through a sporting accident. “Talking to my mentor was fantastic because you don’t know what you don’t know. He shared so many useful links and practical tips, like letting me know universities tend to have Disability Advisers who can support students with so many different aspects of the university experience.”

Helen found it particularly helpful to just talk openly. “Sometimes it wasn’t even about needing a solution. I was just sharing what was on my mind. I told my mentor everything. He’d say, ‘Yeah, we found that,’ which made me realise that it wasn’t just me having these thoughts, and if my mentor and his family found a way through, then we would be able to as well.”

Helen’s advice to other families is to reach out and connect with others who understand. “There really is nothing quite like speaking to someone who’s been through a similar situation to you. I would encourage anyone to take advantage of Back Up’s services if they can.”

Find out more about our family support services here.