Tom was 18 when a car accident nearly killed him. "His injuries were horrific" said hisMum Lynne - a broken neck, fractured skull, broken bones and serious brain injury.
Tom survived but his future as a champion wake-boarder was in pieces. Tom recovered and finished his studies but when he wanted to find work it was difficult - his head injuries had left him with epilepsy and without the use of his right hand.
Thrive’s therapists understood Tom’s needs and set about teaching him how to overcome his disabilities. Through Thrive’s "Working it Out" Programme Tom gained a City and Guilds Level 1 Certificate in Work Based Horticulture. Today Tom has a job he loves as a gardener, he is independent and he will be 25 in November 2011. This extraordinary young man is living the ordinary life his mother once thought he would never have.
"Tom has grown in so many ways, Thrive has given him the skills and qualifications to be a contributing and financially able member of society. Thrive has also given him friends and opportunities I only dreamt of. No words can ever say what I feel in my heart or express the gratitude to Thrive. I am so very proud of Tom and so proud that a charity such as Thrive is so committed to helping vulnerable people."
In 2010 8,533 young men aged 17-19 were casualties in road traffic accidents , Thrive can support people recovering from accident and help them rebuild their lives. It costs just £50 a session for someone like Tom to come to Thrive and £24,000 to run our Working it Out Programme for a year.
Together we can help