To mark the 10th anniversary of her life-changing spinal fusion surgery at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Grace Winterburn ran the Birmingham Half Marathon and led a fundraising campaign for the Royal Orthopaedic Charity.
Grace Winterburn, now 21, raised an impressive £7,500 alongside her family for the charity, which supports patients at Birmingham’s Royal Orthopaedic Hospital.
Spinal fusion surgery is carried out in patients with severe scoliosis, where the spine is curved limiting breathing, heart function and digestion. Grace underwent the procedure when she was 11 years old.
The 12-hour procedure left Grace with two titanium rods and 23 screws in her spine. Despite having this metalwork in her spine, Grace is proving that people with scoliosis can lead full and active lives.
Grace talks more about her diagnosis, her preparations for her first half marathon and how the day unfolded: https://youtu.be/8IyQXhrsm0U?si=S78Q4VOfBQePJFUc
She explained how she felt as she was about to begin the Birmingham Half Marathon: “On the starting line I felt so nervous. I wanted to make sure I just absorbed it all. There were so many people on the starting line who felt the same but for me, this was kind of my victory lap, celebrating what my body can do. I just want other people who have scoliosis to know that you are strong and you can do hard things.”
The funds raised will be split between both the paediatric outpatient care and spinal services at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. Both departments which directly supported Grace as a child. Elaine Bunn, Fundraising Officer at the Royal Orthopaedic Charity, added: “We’ll be working directly with the teams to make sure Grace’s donation is invested in the areas she cares most about. Grace will be involved every step of the way.”
Read more about Grace’s story here: Grace Winterburn - 10 years on from fusion surgery - ROC | Royal Orthopaedic Charity
