Crash survivor's Christmas trees of hope

A man who was left paralysed from the neck down following a car crash 23 years ago is selling Christmas trees, with the proceeds used to fund research into spinal injuries.

Rob Shelton, from Beamsley, near Skipton, spent six months in hospital after breaking his neck in 2002.

Since 2016, his family has raised about £80,000 for the charity Spinal Research by selling trees grown at Lowfield Farm, which they own.

Mr Shelton, who has set his sights on raising £100,000, said: "Every single penny raised takes us closer on the journey of restoring functions and movement to people, like me, who live daily with the effects of a spinal cord injury."

He told how the idea was hatched.

"Before my accident I had planted a few Christmas trees on some rough land in the farm," said Mr Shelton. "My children said they would sell them for Spinal Research.

"Each year we carried on planting a few and we worked on the principle of stacking them high and selling them cheap."

According to the charity, which funds and supports spinal cord injury repair, every two hours someone in the UK is paralysed after a spinal cord injury.

Mr Shelton said: "It's a complete life-changer. I miss a huge amount of my previous life. I was physically very active.

"Now the most influential thing I can do is talk and make things happen. It is a massive change and you've got to be realistic and positive."

Anzhelika Kozak moved to the farm from Ukraine three years ago to flee the Russian invasion.

She moved in with the family as part of the Homes for Ukraine sponsor scheme, and now helps out on the farm and works as Mr Shelton's carer.

Ms Kozak said: "Rob has helped me so much. I didn't know much English when I came and he was really patient with me.

"When he was needing care I asked to help and he accepted. After that we became friends."

For the last 12 years, Rob, who has now retired from his job as a company director, has been a trustee of Spinal Research.

He added: "It is such a promising time with pioneering treatments and therapies coming through to clinical trials offering real hope that a cure for paralysis will be one of the medical breakthroughs of the 21st Century."

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.