“We’ve been robbed of the life we had planned” – campaign to help Brinsworth man who was told he would never walk again

The family of a man who was told he would never walk again after an abscess burst on his spine have started a fundraiser to help him “achieve the most from his new life”.

Jordan Buxton-Anderson, 24, woke up on Christmas Day with agonising pain in his back. He went to hospital a few weeks later when the pain did not subside and was sent home with painkillers and a diagnosis of muscular pain. But just a couple of days after the abscess burst. After emergency surgery, he was told he would be paralysed for life.

Dawn Anderson, 48, mother of Mr Buxton-Anderson said: “I want the best for my son. He is the nicest person to meet, every person who has met him would also say he is amazing.”

She added that a new light wheelchair would improve his quality of life – and also urged people to go for a check up if they experience back pain, saying they want to raise aware of Jordan’s condition.

Mr Buxton-Anderson, of Brinsworth, has been combating illness for his whole life. He was discovered to have Aspergers, then was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes about three years ago

Emily Buxton-Anderson, 23, wife of Mr Buxton-Anderson said: “When I was told Jordan wouldn’t walk again, I felt like my world was falling apart.

“I knew I’d stay with him, because love him so much and so unconditionally, but I just felt like we had been robbed of the life we had planned.”

The couple was married three months ago. Ms Buxton-Anderson was 32 weeks pregnant when things went wrong. Fortunately, he was able to attend the birth of his daughter, with the help of medical staff from the Northern General Hospital and Chesterfield Royal Hospital.

Mr Buxton-Anderson has been in bed rest and has started his rehabilitation at the spinal injury unit after his surgery in January. He is working on upper body strength and building independence. 

Ms Anderson wished to buy a lighter wheelchair which costs approximately £5,000 for him and his wife to get around easier. The fundraiser has reached £5,075, which exceeded its £5,000 target. 

A comment on the GoFundMe page said: “Jordan is a prince amongst men and deserves every piece of love that comes his way…”

If you want to support Jordan, visit https://uk.gofundme.com/f/jordans-wheelchair-to-make-life-easier?qid=3b286ebcc8fd2a70b25d9a7cb7dc9d33

Written by Helen Hui

My name is Helen (she/her), and I am an aspiring journalist in the University of Sheffield who was born and raised in Hong Kong. As an ethnic minority I want to raise awareness of underrepresented groups in our society and reveal social injustice. One of my greatest goals is to travel around to explore what is happening in different countries. Often the news we see only covers a small fraction of our world, which leads to misunderstanding, prejudice and stereotypes. I would like to share my experiences and provide a brand-new point of view of this world we live in. Besides, I am fond of pop cultures, such as current beauty trends, music and celebrities. I am also a big fan of photography, film especially.

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Written by Helen Hui

My name is Helen (she/her), and I am an aspiring journalist in the University of Sheffield who was born and raised in Hong Kong. As an ethnic minority I want to raise awareness of underrepresented groups in our society and reveal social injustice. One of my greatest goals is to travel around to explore what is happening in different countries. Often the news we see only covers a small fraction of our world, which leads to misunderstanding, prejudice and stereotypes. I would like to share my experiences and provide a brand-new point of view of this world we live in. Besides, I am fond of pop cultures, such as current beauty trends, music and celebrities. I am also a big fan of photography, film especially.