Turks & Caicos
RUGBY XANDER
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LATEST NEWS ON OUR BROTHER . . . .
Read about Andersons Story . . . .
03 March 2022
On October 24th, 2021, while on his way home from work, 25 year old Anderson Alexander lost control of his vehicle after his tire kissed the median on Leeward Highway on Provo. His car rolled over and came to rest upside down in the opposite lane just 400 meters from the Cheshire Hall Hospital.
Anderson was quickly tended to by paramedics and stabilized at the Hospital...an MRI the next morning showed two fractures in his neck. As the TCI does not have a spinal specialist, Anderson was referred off island for treatment in the Dominican Republic. On October 29th, Anderson underwent surgery in Santo Domingo, with two pins inserted to stabilize two fractured discs. And thus began the trial of a lifetime.
Anderson was born, raised and schooled in the TCI. He gravitated to sports early in his life. He played all sports, but seemed to have a special relationship with rugby.
Anderson rose through the junior ranks on Provo, but as a teen his weight ballooned to over 300 lbs. In a devoted 4 year effort, Anderson lost over 100lbs. and made the TCI Men's National Rugby Team
While devoting himself to the gym and general fitness, Anderson also climbed the ranks in the TCI Watersports industry. Last year he was promoted to Captain with Sun Charters, taking the helm of their new 40’ Technohull “Mamba”. It is safe to say that Anderson is universally appreciated by all of his guests.
Anderson just returned home from the DR a few weeks ago with limited mobility below his elbows, but there are no spinal therapists in the TCI!
We are seeking to have him referred off island again to get Intensive and regular therapy. It will be a long road to recovery.
National Health Insurance has covered and will continue to cover Anderson’s treatment. But there are significant shortfalls, and friends, teammates and coworkers are seeking to supplement the resources available to him. The current Captain of the TCI National Team is setting up a Go Fund Me account with Meridian Trust agreeing to manage any proceeds.
Meridian has already pledged a ground floor apartment that is wheel chair accessible to make Anderson’s transition easier
We are rallying friends near and far to help with this effort. Anderson is showing the same determination as when he shed a 1/3 of his body weight and made the TCI National Rugby team.
He understands he is in the fight of his life!
It will make a pivotal difference for Anderson to know that the wider community wants to help get him back on his feet.
Please support our brother in anyway you can!
Anderson's Vehicle
Anderson at 300lbs
Anderson in 2021
Update on Anderson Alexanders recovery
21 June 2023
The go fund me link is back up and running. If anyone wants to make any donations they can via the go fund me account (link below) as well as a direct transfer to a Meridian FirstCaribbean account set up specifically to look after any donations people want to make directly.
CIBC- Anderson Alexander- 10561385
Anderson has written a letter below to provide an update on his condition and to send a message of thanks to all that have helped him during this difficult period.
Hello rugby family, I want to start off by saying thank you guys for your support and prayers I highly appreciate each and everyone of you. Most of you may know I had a bad accident a while back and had to leave the island for treatment and therapy. I want you guys to know that I’m doing well and healthy.
Therapy here is going good. It may not be as quick and effective as I thought it to be but everything is falling into place slowly. I’m making a lot of progress and getting stronger by the day.
I am able to do certain daily activities on my own, such as drinking water, eating on my own, taken my shirt off and putting it back on on my own and I’m also able to move my wheelchair around without help.
I am able to feel my body again now is all about conditioning and gaining my strength back, my hands aren’t frozen anymore but I’m still having a tough time moving my fingers. Thanks to aquatic therapy. I am able to swim again and gain strength in parts of my body that was weak. I’m regaining strength in my spine, I can now feel touch in my back area and almost able to get up and sit from the laying position without any help, my legs are still a work in progress and these days my therapist is working really hard to get them moving again and I can feel them now but still don’t have the strength to move them independently yet.
Overall, I’m doing really well and I have been told by both of my therapist that there is a strong possibility of me getting back on my feet once again I highly appreciate each and everyone of you for standing by me and helping me out through this process. I still have a long road ahead of me, but with a high drive and determination I will get there.
Much love, Anderson
TCI Rugby Raise Over $55,000 for Anderson Alexander
The Turks and Caicos Islands Rugby Football Union has brought the local community together and helped raise over $55,000 for Anderson Alexander, a national team rugby player who was injured in a car accident in 2021. Following the TCIRFUs first RugbyX fundraiser the Community stepped up for round 2 with President Keith Burant liaising with members of the business community to help raise the profile of the second event and generate significantly more funds. Burant applauded the community for coming together said more needed to be done from the medical community to give Anderson the treatment he needs and deserves “the Turks and Caicos community is always great when it comes to helping causes like this and we are incredibly grateful for the generous show of support we received. This is however only a small part of the assistance that Anderson needs. He is in urgent need of overseas treatment and NHIP must step up to fulfill their legal and moral responsibility to this young man. Every day that he waits provides a further challenge to his long term recovery and the apparent bureaucratic delay that he is facing is unconscionable.” The second fundraising event was held at the Meridian Field and headlined by local band Weaponized Conch (pictured).
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