I seem to
most of my time on this blog complaining about something or other. That is
understandable in the light of the relentless attacks on Access to Justice
for ordinary people.
But today,
for a change I want to pay tribute to a young man who has faced adversity
beyond anything that I could imagine and who is an inspiration to us all.
Richard Hopley
has been disabled from birth. My colleague Helen Barry in EAD’s Clinical
Negligence Dept acted for him many years ago in a successful case against the
NHS. He has no speech and no independent mobility. But he is as bright as the rest
of us – well brighter than most to be honest!
I have met
him on a few occasions. I have never come across anybody more determined to
make the best of his life despite his massive limitations. His communication back
then, was by way of a keyboard which he operated with his nose. He has now
moved on to an iPad, which he still controls with his nose but which is
presumably a bit more comfortable.
The Liverpool
Echo has reported this week that Richard has just published his first book of
poetry –
He
describes one of his poems in the article –
“I can look out if my window onto the river and, to me, water tells stories in its movement. My favourite poem I have ever written is River Book, where the waves are like pages of a book that you can actually read, placing new thoughts in your mind.
“I wonder as I look on the surface, my mind dives in, revealing untold stories.”
The last few years have been a challenge for those of us who seek to secure justice for victims of negligence, of whatever sort. As Governments, insurers and the media make the work harder and harder, it is tempting to wonder if it is all worth while.
Then a Richard Hopley comes along and says it all for us. And says it in a way that no blog could ever do. He is an inspiration, not only to other victims but to all of us.
Thank you Richard!
www.eadsolicitors.co.uk
How many times did one give up in hard times, or when one felt less motivated to do an important task, or when one was hardly inspired to follow his dreams? How many chances did one lose, how many brilliant ideas were lost in the dark and never saw the light because one was not motivated to express his ideas. How many obstacles can a negative feedback create? Tonya Shirelle & Tonya Shirelle
ReplyDeleteSuccess can only be achieved by hard work and one won't work hard unless he is inspired, motivated and adopting a positive attitude.