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Walking for Val: friends turn tragedy into action

Val Jones

A group of Ilkley friends are going on a three day 'Reiki Ramble' to help Val get the help she needs after being left paralysed below the neck.

For 37 years, upper limb specialist physiotherapist Val Jones walked into her NHS physio department to care for her patients, but after a serious road traffic collision in June last year, now she can't.

Among other injuries, she sustained damage to her upper spinal cord, leaving her paralysed below the neck, unable even to breathe for herself. Eleven months later, she is still in a spinal injuries unit for continued rehabilitation, where she will remain until her home is adapted for her ongoing needs.

Ilkley based Nordic walker, Reiki Master and holistic therapy tutor Lois Skilleter and a group of friends are getting together to walk 32 miles from Runswick Bay to Scarborough North Bay over three days, 1 to 3 May, on a “Reiki Ramble” in order to raise much-needed funds to help Val get the adaptations she needs to be able to go home.

The choice of a coastal walk is important to Val as she has always loved the sea:

“I’ll never be able to walk again, so it’s lovely that you’re going to be my legs, walking by the sea”, she told the ramblers. ”I love the sea, it’s where I feel most at home, and you will be my eyes sending me photos and videos!”

Val has been receiving Reiki, a Japanese energy healing modality which is offered for the client to use it in the way they need, and finds it helpful: Val said:

“Every time I get Reiki, something new and positive happens, I harness that inner power!"

So the “Reiki Ramble” will include mini Reiki sessions offered at each day’s end point, Whitby, Ravenscar and Scarborough North Bay, in return for a donation to Val’s appeal.

Val estimates that in order for her to return home, she needs in the region of £200-£250k to cover essentials such as adapted doorways, ramps, hoists and specialist care. The walk will hopefully help her towards this goal and give back to someone who worked so long for the NHS and is still helping to train physiotherapists online from her hospital bed.

You can follow the preparation and the walk itself via the Reiki Ramble blog at https://sharingyorkshire.com/category/ramble/

If you wish to help Val by donating to her fund, you can find this link: https://tinyurl.com/valjones [Please add “RR” after your name to show that you’ve donated through the Reiki Ramble.]

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