'Sophies Gift'

Sophie Wilkinson was a 17 year old vibrant teenager studying for her ‘A’ levels and enjoying socialising with her friends. She has a loving family with two younger sisters and a brother living in Bishops Waltham, near Southampton. She had aspirations of teaching AIDS orphans in Africa during her gap year, before obtaining her degree at Cardiff University. She was a massive Southampton Football Club Fan and knew many of the players.

On 9th October 2007 Sophie went for a drive with her friend who had passed his driving test the previous day. Shortly before 11 a.m. the car collided with an 18 tonne lorry travelling at 32 M.P.H. which hit Sophie’s side of the car. The side of Sophie’s head took the brunt of the impact.

Over 3,000 people are injured in a similar way to Sophie each year in the UK.

It took an hour to remove Sophie from the wreckage and the emergency crew thought they had lost her on the way to the hospital.

Sophie spent 73 days at the Neurological Intensive Care Department at Southampton General Hospital, fighting for her life. She received the most incredible treatment and the family received the most incredible support here, before Sophie was transferred to the Bath Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre, where she spent two years undergoing intensive neuro rehabilitation

Sophie was transferred to Shelly Park in October 2008, for a slower stream rehabilitation to help her recover. In Nov 2008 a process of removing Sophie from the drugs she was on

began and a remarkable transformation occurred. No longer was Sophie the sleepy unaware child, but a vibrant smiley and awake Sophie arrived! Sophie spends her time between Bournemouth and home so that a process of eventually moving Sophie home can be achieved once the legals agree to move the family to a better home for Sophie.

Sophie has had dozens of brain and body scans which are dangerous for her, as each time she is moved she could suffer additional trauma, so severe are her injuries. Each time Sophie, or any other Neurological patient, has a scan, 4 staff members have to accompany them for the procedure. This essential procedure involves disconnection and reconnection of life support equipment and means that 4 valuable members of the unit are off the Intensive Care Ward for up to 2 hours at a time.

Sophie has had 6 major, life threatening operations since the accident and her family have prepared for her death on 4 occasions. During the first week her siblings independently contacted the organ donation team at the hospital as they knew Sophie would have wanted to donate her organs.

Sophie’s family want to epitomise her phenomenal fighting spirit by giving something back to the department that has done so much to help Sophie’s (and many others’) fight. The Director of Neurological Sciences at Southampton General Hospital believes that a Mobile CT Scanner would dramatically improve the wellbeing of patients receiving critical care support on the ward, whilst radically improving the efficiency of the highly trained personnel.

With that aim in mind the Wilkinson family have set up the Sophie’s Gift Fundraising Programme on behalf of the Southampton Hospital Trust to raise the £250,000 needed for this equipment. Among those that have confirmed their involvement in Sophie’s cause are some of Sophie’s favourite Idols, Superstar Johnny Depp, celebrities such as Sharon Osborne and Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond , Chris Tarrant, Amanda Holden, Fern Britten and Mike Osman as well as International footballers Matt Le Tissier, James & Sarah Beattie, and Claus Lundekvam. The list grows daily.