Connor Hughes has had a fair amount of paint splashing about in his life of late. As well as decorating his recently finished new-build house, he’s been dabbling in his latest hobby of oil painting landscapes. Both pursuits were probably not on the bingo card of 19-year-old Connor, back in 2014, studying Accounts at Stirling University and turning out for the Uni 1st XV of a weekend.
“I was playing rugby for my university, at the start of that season, there was a freak accident in the ruck and I broke my neck,” he recalls, matter-of-factly, of the moment on the pitch which changed his life.
After a hospital stay of three months in Glasgow, he travelled to San Diego to the Project Walk facility then to Thailand for further treatment, aiming to restore some sensation after the spinal injury which had left him without movement below his armpits.
As the rugby community rallied round – “It was and continues to be tremendous, in every aspect,” he says – Hearts and Balls added its weight to his corner. But this wasn’t his first contact with the charity.
“Bizarrely my prefect at school, Nick Watt, had had a life-altering injury playing rugby, too,” he explains. “Back when I was 13, while I was at school, we did a lot of fundraising for Hearts + Balls.
“After I had my accident, the injured players’ fund at Scottish Rugby [now The Murrayfield Injured Players Foundation (MIPF)] got in touch, followed by Hearts + Balls, so I knew all about them.
“Hearts + Balls have primarily given me financial support, for purchasing pieces of equipment such as different chairs, and they’ve also helped with adaptions in the house over the years.
“These things are crazy expensive so that support takes a load off.”
Connor’s most recent acquisition, with help from H+B and MIPF, was a piece of gym equipment, specifically made for people in wheelchairs and, prior to that, an off-road power chair.
“I live out in the countryside, so I’m especially grateful for that,” he adds.
“Hearts + Balls has made a huge difference to my life over the last decade. Without them, I wouldn’t have half the kit I use on a daily basis – whether that’s for leisure or, as with my power chair, something I need every day to get out.
“I think it would be really hard if you really needed a piece of equipment and you knew you couldn’t have it because of money reasons – that would take its toll, over time.”
He’s keen to underline, however, that it’s not just the financial support offered by the Charity for which he’s thankful.
“They set up meetings between injured players and have invited me to a number of events over the years where I’ve been able to speak to others in the same situation. That such a benefit for your mental health.”
While his Accountancy degree was interrupted in 2014 due to his accident, the assistance with his accessibility and his positive outlook has prompted Connor to resume his studies. After completing a degree in Astronomy, he’s now studying for a further degree in Mathematics and Statistics.
“I have a full year of studying to go, though I’ve split that over two years,” he explains. “What will I do when I graduate? I’ve no idea, yet. Maths is one of those broad degrees, in terms of finding jobs.
“I set myself goals every day, though – whether that’s something big or little, going out in the chair every day, or taking on other challenges.”
Last year one of those challenges involved hand cycling his adapted chair across Scotland as part of a charity fundraiser for spinal research.
A challenge closer to home, however, has been helping to design the new property into which he recently moved.
“I designed the house along with a local architect. As we were building it, we tried to tailor as much as we could at the outset – a few little quirks here and there, too – blending in things that would have otherwise had to be adapted.
“I still go to rugby games, too, and watch all the matches on TV,” he says. “Kelso has been my local club since I was 16, after I started playing at Earlston when I was six or seven.”
While his local club rallied to his aid following the accident, Connor is still hugely touched by the support that came from all quarters at that time.
“Even when I was first injured a whole bunch of clubs, some I’d never even heard of, did fundraising for my benefit and that fed into everything done for me by Hearts + Balls and the fund at Murrayfield.
“Everyone in the rugby community is always wanting to help, whether it’s a big fundraiser or something smaller. You just wouldn’t get that in any other circle of life.”
