A FUND has been set up to raise money for Paralympic gold medallist David Smith as he undergoes rehabilitation following life-saving surgery to remove a tumour from his spine.
Mr Smith, 38, from Aviemore won rowing gold at London 2012 and it was his ambition to compete in cycling in Rio.
But those dreams were shattered when he discovered that a tumour, previously operated on in 2010 and 2014, had returned last year.
READ MORE: interview with David Smith from The Herald Magazine
Located just 8mm (0.3in) from his spine, doctors feared that without treatment it would continue to grow, crushing his spinal cord and stopping him from breathing.
Mr Smith underwent a nine-hour surgery in March to remove the tumour.
Almost six months on, he has limited function in his left arm and is still learning to walk again.
The athlete has been undergoing therapy at a specialist spinal rehabilitation centre near Gatwick which offers state-of-the-art equipment and world-class therapists.
READ MORE: Scottish Olympians to be honoured at homecoming event
While making steady progress, Mr Smith has had to fund this treatment – along with living costs, accommodation and transport – out of his dwindling personal savings.
His friend Karen Paul set-up a GoFundMe page last month in a bid to help finance this rehab and has already raised almost half of a £10,000 target.
Mr Smith, whose poignant story was charted in a BBC documentary, Dead Man Cycling, which aired last year, said he was “humbled” and “overwhelmed” by the response so far.
“I’m really grateful,” he said. “I know that the rehab I’m doing is working and already seeing so much progress. The money raised through the GoFundMe page will allow me to continue that.
“A lot of the life that I can live at the moment I owe to the people who have supported me and I will always be in debt to them for that.
“I have received so many nice messages and those help get me through the darker times.”
READ MORE: interview with David Smith from The Herald Magazine
The cyclist said he had come to terms with the disappointment of missing out on Rio.
“I’m just so grateful to be alive,” he said. “On the day of my surgery there was a 33-year-old Australian rower [Sarah Tait] who died of cancer. She had won a silver medal at London.
“I remember saying to my mum: ‘It doesn’t matter if I go to Rio or not, I’m still alive. That’s the most important thing’.
“My race now is no longer about winning medals, it is simply to try and live. If I can make it to Tokyo in four years then that will be a bonus.”
To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/2gug5d98
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