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John Blower Profile
On Saturday the 6th December 2003 John Blower's life was to change dramatically through playing rugby, a game he loves. In an instant John broke his neck and became a Tetraplegic, paralysed from the neck downward for the rest of his life.
John was playing rugby at the Warrington Sports Club in the front row of the Northwich RUFC 1st XV against local rivals Warrington RUFC. Two minutes from half time, John, who was due to be substituted received the devastating injury when the scrum collapsed upon him. John was rushed to Warrington General Hospital and from there to the specialist Spinal Injury Unit at Southport General Hospital where he remains to date. John is fully conscious and mentally alert. The long term prognosis is that John will be permanently paralysed from the neck downwards, and he is currently fighting to become totally independent of the respirator that his keeping him alive.
John is a local 44 year old resident of Northwich, residing throughout his life at Winnington, a suburb of Northwich. John was born at Davenham in December 1959, and is the oldest son of Sheila and Alan Blower who are both struggling to come to terms with the injury their son has sustained. His parents are receiving support from their only other son, Ian, John's younger brother.
John is happily married to Julie, and is a committed family man with three children, a daughter Natalie, aged 20 years and two young teenage sons who are still in full time education, Christopher who is 17 years of age and Paul who is 14 years of age. Both Christopher and Paul who, despite their father's serious rugby injury, continue to play rugby within the Northwich Junior Section which John actively participated within as a recognised qualified Junior rugby coach.
John is a fanatical sportsman, who is passionate about any team game especially football and rugby. In his earlier years John represented Mid Cheshire at football, and played as a utility player for Winnington Park FC and as a regular player within the old Sunday League football regime. John was a team player and when he was 22 years of age it was the team camaraderie which is specific to rugby that attracted him away from football into rugby. John has always played as a forward player at every level within Northwich RUFC. He is without doubt one of the most experienced and best front row players that Northwich has produced. The dedication and effort John poured into rugby is surpassed by only a few other individuals.
John was educated at Darwin Street Junior School, and went to Hartford Secondary School for Boys. At 16 years of age John left school and commenced an apprenticeship as a welder with the now long gone Joseph Parks Steel Works. In 1979 John worked nation-wide on numerous short term contracts and after a few years he eventually opted for a more locally based position with ICI who were at that time the town's main employer. He worked for them at the Salt Mines and then transferred to the Winnington Avenue site. In 1993 John moved employment to ILFORD Imaging UK Limited at Mobberley where he is still currently employed. Ironically just prior to his serious injury John was promoted to Plant Controller of a multi million pound 'state of the art' media coating plant.
John believes in his local community and strongly supported the aims and aspirations of the Northwich Festival. More than anything John believed in the youth of today and wanted Northwich to become known as the 'sporting community centre' of Cheshire. John has already indicated that he wishes to remain fully involved in the Northwich Festival.
By a cruel twist of fate in early 2004 John was to embark on his first rugby tour with the Northwich RUFC Senior Teams to the United States of America. Unfortunately he will miss this tour.
John is a fanatical gardener, his garden at Winnington is a real treasure. He has just completed an extensive DIY modernisation and extension programme of his home which again John will not be able to enjoy, as his home is totally unsuitable for his level of disability. Again, due to his disability, John has had to cease his 'bird breeding' hobby and sell his prize budgerigar (love birds -budgies).
John, despite his injury continues to be positive, he is looking forward to leaving hospital and hopefully developing his considerable wine connoisseur's expertise to the full.
John is, and will always remain an inspiration to all that are fortunate enough to know him. John has earned the respect of his friends and colleagues; he has always been unselfish, willing to give 110% in everything he does. It is now up to the individuals who care about John to ensure that he can fully maintain and improve upon is current quality of life, and live life to the full.
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