Mayday Mayday - local surgeon and actor raise awareness of spinal injury

Following a performance of “Mayday Mayday”, a play written by local actor Tristan Sturrock about his spinal injury and journey to recovery, Consultant Neurosurgeon Tim Germon was invited to give a talk to the audience about spinal injuries at St Anne’s Warehouse in New York.

Talking after the event Tim said: “It was pretty intimidating to stand on the stage, a completely different theatre to that which I’m used to but I felt it was an important thing to do.

"The show is really very clever, taking you from laughter to tears in minutes but what it also does is give a real sense of the helplessness that patients in similar situations to Tristan can often feel.

“By talking about Tristan’s surgery and his care it gives an understanding and awareness that other patients can hopefully feel re-assured by.

“It also gives me an opportunity to bring to people’s attention the Cavitron Fund who have raised money for a number of years to provide specialist equipment for spinal surgery which will bring direct benefits to patients. It will enable our specialist team to carry out computer guided surgery which brings increased accuracy, will enable us to operate through smaller incisions and will improve outcomes for those patients who have to have this very complex surgery.”

Tim’s presentation in New York was filmed and is now available on YouTube.

In May 2004 Tristan Sturrock fell 10 feet off a wall as he took a phone call during the May Day celebrations in Padstow, breaking his neck.

Mr Sturrock underwent major spinal surgery and months of physiotherapy at Derriford Hospital and made an incredible recovery.

Tristan, who was paralysed in an accident but went on to make an almost complete recovery, wrote the play to thank the medical teams at Derriford Hospital that helped him learn to walk again.

In Mayday Mayday Tristan performs around 20 roles, including himself, his wife, paramedics and neurosurgeon Tim Germon.