Footballer Raul Jimenez, who fractured his skull in a match last year, has chosen brain injury charity Headway as a beneficiary of a fundraising appeal on his behalf.
Wolverhampton Wanderers player Jimenez was knocked unconscious in a clash of heads while playing against Arsenal in November, prompting fans to launch a campaign to fund a banner in support of him at Molineux.
After hitting the initial target of £7,500 in a matter of hours, the JustGiving fundraiser remained open and now stands at over £22,000 of additional funds.
Jimenez has now decided to split the money evenly between Headway and the Mexican Football Federation’s initiative Jugamos Todos.
Headway supports individuals and families in the aftermath of brain injury, helping them to rebuild their lives, and has also been a vocal campaigner on the issue of being concussion aware in sport, with its ‘If in doubt, sit it out’ mantra resonating across sports from grassroots level upwards.
“My family and I were overwhelmed and truly humbled by the outpouring of support from the Wolves family, and football fans all over the world, in the days and weeks after my injury and surgery,” says Jimenez.
“The messages of support I received, across all channels, and from all corners of the globe, have been inspirational for me in my rehab and recovery, and the banner at Molineux is a truly special gesture.
“I want to thank the fans that came up with the idea for a banner and every single person who made a donation to fund it.
“I am delighted that we have such a large amount of money left over to give to organisations that will make sure that the right people benefit from all the love and generosity I received.”
Peter McCabe, chief executive of Headway, says: “The immediate aftermath following a brain injury can be very challenging for the loved ones of those affected, and I’m sure Raul and his family will have been through a very difficult time.
“We are therefore delighted to hear that Raul is making progress.
“We are also extremely grateful to Raul for recognising the work Headway does day-in-day-out to support families and individuals affected by brain injury from the moment the injury occurs through to helping them to rebuild their lives.
“I would also like to extend thanks to the club and its supporters for their generosity. To everyone who donated in support of Raul, I offer the heartfelt thanks of the charity and all those we support.”
The other beneficiary of the appeal, Jugamos Todos (Let’s All Play) was launched by the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) in 2016 to expand on its mission to use football and other sports at schools as a tool to improve children’s health and broaden their opportunities both in sport and society.
Wolves Matchday Experience Group member Kieran Newey, who set up the JustGiving page to fundraise the banner, said: “When Raul got injured at Arsenal, we saw the shock and worry for him and his young family all over social media.
“As a collective within the Matchday Experience Group, we wanted to come up with something to show Raul our support, and very quickly the idea of creating a banner with a fan design and fan donations came to life.
“We are really delighted that it captured the imagination of our fans and other football fans around the world, and that we have been able to raise enough money to cover the costs of the banner and have a substantial amount left over to give to charity.”
