Business Owner Who Received Record Settlement Raising Money For Charity That Helps Children With Disabilities

A young man diagnosed with cerebral palsy after suffering a brain injury at birth, is taking part in 10,000 feet skydive to help children with disabilities.

Owen Johnson was left severely disabled when medical staff made errors during his birth which meant he was deprived of oxygen.

Following investigations by expert medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell, Owen, of Moseley, Birmingham, received a substantial settlement to fund the specialist care he requires for the rest of his life. At the time it was a record settlement for a cerebral palsy case.

Now, aged 20, Owen is taking part in a skydive to raise money for Caudwell Children, the national charity that supports disabled children and their families.

Expert Opinion

“People living cerebral palsy have extremely complex needs, however, through our work we see first-hand how specialist care and therapies can help families to live their lives fully.

“We are proud of the progress that Owen continues to make and it is great to see that he is now planning on taking part in a skydive.

“We wish him all the best and hope he raises as much money as possible for Caudwell Children and the vital work the charity carries out in helping families.” Emma Rush - Partner

Find out more about Irwin Mitchell's expertise in supporting families affected by brain injuries 

Owen’s parents contacted Caudwell Children when he was aged five.

The charity agreed to fund a course of Conductive Education for Owen, a therapy that helps to improve the mobility of people with motor disorders. By the age of seven Owen was able to walk and when he recently turned 20 he decided to pay back his debt of gratitude to the charity.

He said: “I wanted to do something special to fundraise for Caudwell Children after all the support they gave me as a child

“I’ve supported the charity through buying tickets for a number of their events but I haven’t done anything to raise money before.”

Having checked out the Events and Challenges page on the charity’s website Owen decided to register for a skydive at Tilstock Airfield, in Shropshire, on Saturday, 14 September, 2019.

And now fearless Owen, who runs his own eBay business selling gaming merchandise, has set up a Just Giving page and given himself a target of £1,500 to hit.

“I’m determined to raise as much money as I can for this amazing charity,” he explained. “That’s why I’m appealing for people from Birmingham to come and join me on this once in a lifetime experience so that the charity can help even more children and young people like me.”

Owen does have a few anxieties ahead of the jump.

He said: “I have to say I am a little bit nervous but nothing like my mum who’s so scared about it that she initially thought about not coming, but she’s promised me that she will be there to support me.

“The rest of my family and friends think I’m mad and they’re actually more nervous than I am.”

Trudi Beswick, Chief Executive from Caudwell Children, is delighted that Owen has registered for the tandem freefall.

As she explained: “I have known Owen for over 15 years, since the first time his family approached the charity for support. Over the years I have shared many special moments with Owen and I’m delighted to see the progress he has made.

“Owen embraces life in a way many of us aspire to and he is a constant source of inspiration to all of the Caudwell Children team with his positive attitude and zest for life.

“Taking on this skydive challenge to raise money for other children who need a helping hand to reach their own personal goals sums Owen’s character up perfectly; he is kind, considerate and daring all at the same time.

“We are immensely proud of Owen and incredibly grateful to him for supporting the charity in this way.”  

The challenge will see Owen climbing to 10,000 feet before he launches himself out of the aeroplane, strapped to a tandem instructor. He will then hurtle towards the earth at over 120 miles per hour.

Kate Sherwin, Challenges Coordinator at Caudwell Children, added: “It’s not just the freefall experience that our skydivers remember as they tell us that they get a huge sense of achievement from hitting their fundraising target, knowing that they are helping such a worthy cause.

”It would be fantastic if fellow Brummies could join Owen and sign up for the jump as every single penny raised goes to the children that we support.

“Owen is desperate to boost our charity fundraising as much as he can and by registering for the jump you’ll help him to have the perfect parachute party to remember.”

To find out more and to register to skydive for Caudwell Children call 01782 433750 or visit the Cauldwell Children website.

You can support Owen through his JustGiving campaign.