A BRAVE schoolboy is determined to get back to playing football after suffering from a rare spinal injury that has left him paralysed. 

Jack McGarry was only eight years old when he was rushed to hospital last March due to severe shooting pains.

He was transferred to the Royal Hospital for Children after starting to lose function down his right side.

An MRI scan found that he had a spinal arteriovenous malformation - an extremely rare condition where enlarged blood vessels swell and damage the spinal cord, interrupting the signals between the brain and the rest of the body.

The cluster was set to be removed, but Jack, from Motherwell, suffered a bleed into his spinal cord beforehand, which left him with paralysis in all four limbs. 

Graeme McGarry, Jack’s dad, said: “Jack was in hospital from March until September and an expert told us she’d never seen this in a child before, she had been doing the job for 30 years and said it never happens to children, it was just one in a million shot.

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“With coronavirus happening, it was only myself and his mum Cassie who could visit, which was quite difficult for family members. We took turns of staying overnight with him for six months.”

The youngster, who attends Knowetop Primary School, spent his ninth birthday in hospital, but has since been discharged.

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Graeme, 38, added: “Jack is in an electric wheelchair at the moment. Initially he was right-handed but he’s learning how to do everything with his left hand now as it’s stronger, so he’s able to use the joystick on the electric wheelchair which has helped him get a bit of independence back and go to school. 

“He’s football crazy, he played for Motherwell Football Club Community Trust 2011 team. His whole life revolved around football, if he wasn’t at training, he was kicking a ball around the house or in the garden so not being able to play has been a big adjustment for him.”

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Jack is determined to get back to kicking a ball despite having no function in his legs yet.

Graeme said: “He’s convinced he’s going to get back on his feet one day and that he’s going to be back playing football even although the odds have been quite against that at times.

“He’s never let it affect him; he’s said, ‘Dad, I’m going to do this’. You can’t be down when you’re round about him because he’s just so determined.”

Despite Jack’s dedication, the family still face some challenges. Jack has to be hoisted in and out of bed and taken to an additional support needs school to be showered whilst an extension is being built at home.

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But to help Jack make the best possible recovery, his family are raising money to send him to Neurokinex clinic in Gatwick, who offer activity-based rehabilitation to people with all levels of spinal cord injury.

A JustGiving page has been set up to raise as much money as possible, which will go towards the treatment and any equipment needed at home. So far, more than £26,000 has been raised.

Graeme said: “I was never expecting the response we’ve had. The support has been overwhelming, it will open options for Jack in terms of treatment and give him a better chance. We just can’t thank everyone who has donated enough.

“I hope Jack’s story inspires other people who are in difficult situations.” 

To donate, click here.