What began as a normal school day for Oliver Sausins, a bright, energetic nine-year-old from Wiltshire, ended in a way no one could have predicted. Two and a half years later, the once adventurous child is paralysed, and the emotional toll is beginning to show — not just physically, but socially too.
Oliver was enjoying the playground with friends when he began to complain about a sore back. Moments later, he collapsed. By the end of that day, he was in emergency neurosurgery — the start of a life-altering journey that left him unable to walk. Doctors discovered a spontaneous internal bleed that compressed his spinal cord. Oliver is now a T3 paraplegic.
His father Daniel recalls that day vividly. “It was clear something was seriously wrong,” he said. “One of his pupils had blown. I’ve done first aid training, and I knew there was some kind of internal trauma.” A CT scan revealed a mass pressing against Oliver’s spine. Initially feared to be cancer, it turned out to be a rare and spontaneous spinal haemorrhage.
Since then, the Sausins family has undergone an unimaginable transformation. Their home has been completely remodelled to suit Oliver’s needs, including a new bedroom, lift, wet room, and accessible kitchen features. The cost? Over £150,000 from their own savings.
Despite this, Daniel says the hardest part isn’t the renovations or hospital stays — it’s watching Oliver, now 11, navigate social isolation.
“For a child who used to climb trees and race bikes, not being invited to things is devastating,” Daniel said. “You start to notice that people just stop asking. Maybe they don’t know what’s possible or they feel awkward, but it hurts. He sees his friends making plans he can’t join. He gets upset.”
One place Oliver still finds peace is the beach — a family favourite over holidays abroad. But even that has its challenges. His current wheelchair sinks in the sand, leaving him unable to move independently or enjoy the water like he used to.
“He doesn’t want to be dragged,” Daniel explained. “From his perspective, it’s embarrassing. He’s shy. He’s already a focal point because of his injury, and being pulled around like a cart only adds to that.”
That’s why Daniel has launched a GoFundMe campaign to purchase a special beach wheelchair attachment. This device would allow Oliver to navigate the sand on his own, restoring a small piece of freedom he’s lost.
“He can’t just roll down to the sea for a bucket of water or go build his sandcastle. I just want him to be able to do something he loves without limits. He’s already lost so much — I want to give him something back.”
Despite the trauma, Daniel describes his son as the “strongest person I’ve ever known.” But strength, he says, doesn’t mean Oliver shouldn’t be able to enjoy being a kid.
“If there’s one thing we can do, it’s help him feel included — in the world, and with his friends.”
