james gribble was an avid traveler and backpacker. he trekked the globe, and made his way through many countries. in norway, a mate and himself caught a puffin. now if you know puffins, you know that they are extremely hard to catch. the fella they caught was a 1-legged bird. they got acquainted with him, and eventually set him free. this is where his deep affiliation and love for puffins emerged. he acquired a puffin hand puppet, and in all his travels the special bird made his way around the globe with him. this was documented by the signature picture of the puffin puppet posing near the wonderful sights, and backdrops of the many countries james had visited.
while in africa, james endured a freak spinal accident during a fishing trip, leaving him a quadrapeligic. his family and friends started the puffin magic foundation to help support and subsidise the costs of his rehabilitation.
the innaugural puffin magic foundation ball was held at the westin in sydney, on june 12th. they raised over $200,000 just in the auction alone. puffin puppets were for sale, as well as the portion of the ticket for the ball, and donations, which all contributed to james' foundation.
james is an amazing soul, with a spirit like no other. he has taken this tragic event, and made it his challenge to conquer. this accident came out of the blue, and was not a diagnosed disease or huge crash. he simply had fatigue from the scorching heat, and collapsed backwards. james strives to make the best of his life. he has broken boundaries with his rehabilitation, and is able to feed himself with his right hand, and stand on his own. they had a great presentation video, which laid out his life story, and chain of events. it was heart breaking, yet up lifting. i have never seen someone with such will and strength. he makes the worries of the world a mere chip off ones shoulder. he is an inspiring individual with a phenomenal lust for life.
my fondest memory of the ball was when james spoke. the best line was, "let's do what we came here to do, and fucking party!"
he is aiming to go to the united states as they have a great center for spinal rehabilitation. one hour costs over $2000. the doctors have stated that to achieve the maximum beneficial rehabilitation time, 3 months would suffice.
please check out the website below. make a contribution, be it small or large. james is on his way to mobility beyond the forecasts of doctors -- help him achieve this!
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http://www.puffinmagic.org.au
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