I was very active and working full time as head chef at The Deep when in June 2018, I had to have
emergency surgery for 2 tumours on my spine. I was left with life changing spinal cord injury, and cauda equine syndrome (CES).
It is a spinal cord injury rollercoaster learning a whole new way to live managing pain and various other issues.
Learning to walk again and spending the majority of time in a wheelchair left me feeling low, physically and mentally.
So I reached out for help and the support from the Back-Up Trust charity, Spinal Injuries Association and The Deep was great.
After receiving mentoring from the Back-Up Trust charity, it changed my outlook on life completely.
There is life after injury it’s just finding a new adapted way to do things.
To continue my work at The Deep I have an adapted role more office than kitchen based but great to put my years of catering, food knowledge to good use. The accessible facility’s at The Deep for crew and customers are first class.
When I am not working as The Deep’s development chef I am volunteering helping others in the spinal cord injury community which includes mentoring newly injured people with a spinal cord injury.
I write a food article for the Spinal Injuries Forward magazine, sharing recipes and cooking tips, including seasonal sustainable grow your own produce and have also started my own social media channels (@chefjon1 on Instagram and Twitter) where I create cooking demonstrations to show easy safe recipes – adapting how I cook using a perch stool and gadgets.
I also started writing poems to keep my mind distracted from the pain. It’s a great help.
A spinal cord injury is life changing @backuptrust services are lifesaving.
I am going to be climbing Mount Snowdon in an adapted wheelchair in 2023 with my team “Stiff peaks” (had to get the food element in to the name) raising funds for the Back-Up charity.
Check out my go fund me page https://gofund.me/04acba0a
Thanks
Jon, Development Chef, The Deep
My poem:
Chef Jon is the name
Spinally injured!!!
But I'm still game
Cooking and laughter is what I do best.
Yes I have ces and all the rest
Beans on toast
Or a Sunday roast?
It's ok I will show u how to poach.
Fun and laughter is the key
Sat around drinking tea.
Meat pies sausage rolls
Oh I do like profiteroles
Service please is the cry
Food on the pass
Chips on the fry
Liking food it is my passion
Helping others is how I roll
Oh I do hate guacamole
It’s my mission to spread the word
U can do, it’s a problem shared
Chef Jon1 The SCI CHEF
Cooking and smiling
I better sit and rest!