Running for love and hope after Christmas Day accident leaves husband paralysed

Every step Tri Hua takes in this year’s London Marathon will be to honour his husband David, tragically paralysed after a Christmas Day accident.

The couple were enjoying a festive break in Lanzarote in 2019 when a fall left David with a devastating spinal cord injury. “In a single moment, life as we knew it shifted forever,” said Tri.

“Since that day, we’ve been on a journey no one ever prepares for. One filled with pain, uncertainty, and unimaginable challenges. But through it all we have both experienced a stronger love, resilience, and the strength of the human spirit.”

David was paralysed from the waist down in the accident and spent weeks in hospital in the Canary Islands and then London, before being transferred to the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre at Stanmore where Tri travelled three hours every day to visit him.

The 44-year-old lawyer was discharged to the couple’s newly adapted home in Streatham, South London, just a week before the country went into Lockdown in March 2020. 

"David has never let his injury define him. His courage, humour, and sheer determination continue to inspire me every single day. Through every setback, he shows up with grit, grace, and a light that refuses to dim. He is, without a doubt, the bravest person I know.”

“In one way this period of isolation was a gift for David and I as we had some time to process what had happened, to grieve the future we had once pictured and to gently begin shaping a new one,” said business risk manager Tri, 50.

“In that time we came to realise that despite the hand life had dealt us there was still so much to hold on to and to be grateful for.

“David has never let his injury define him. His courage, humour, and sheer determination continue to inspire me every single day. Through every setback, he shows up with grit, grace, and a light that refuses to dim. He is, without a doubt, the bravest person I know.”

Tri is now taking on this year’s London Marathon to raise vital funds for Spinal Research and added: “Although fitness has always been a big part of my life this will be a huge challenge. But I’m running with everything I have for my husband, to raise vital funds for spinal research and to stand up for every family living with the reality of a spinal cord injury.”

Every two hours someone in the UK is paralysed after a spinal cord injury – it can happen to anyone at any time with devastating consequences for them and their loved ones. 

Suzanne Redding, Head of Audience and Community for Spinal Research, said: “With the first function restoring treatment in history now available and more breakthrough therapies coming, we urgently need funds to get these at speed and scale from the lab to the 105,000-plus people like David living every day in the UK with a devastating spinal cord injury.

“So, we are incredibly grateful to Tri for joining this year’s London Marathon ‘Team Spinal’. Every pound raised takes us a step closer to our goal of curing paralysis”.

To support Tri go to his JustGiving fundraising page http://bit.ly/3Z8t38C