Matthew Rhys Celebrates MBE Awarded to Friend’s Father Following Tragic Rugby Injury
Hollywood actor Matthew Rhys expressed his pride after the father of his school friend, who died following a spinal injury, was honoured by the King. Rhys stated,
"does neb yn haeddu hyn fwy", meaning "no one deserves this more."
Paul-André Blundell, who represented the Wales under-19 rugby team, was paralysed after being tackled during a game in 2001. He passed away five months later at the age of 26 due to a blood clot in his lung.
Paul-André, known as P-A, inspired his parents Rob and Gerri Blundell to campaign for awareness of spinal injuries. Rob, aged 80 and from Eglwys Newydd in Cardiff, has now been awarded an MBE for his services to spinal injury research and treatment.
Matthew Rhys praised the relentless efforts of Rob and Gerri, saying their work has been tremendous and expressed how proud he is to see them receive the recognition they deserve.
According to the charity Spinal Research, someone in the UK becomes paralysed every two hours due to spinal injuries. This charity is the largest in the UK dedicated to funding research into spinal injuries and possible treatments.
For over 20 years, Spinal Research has worked closely with Trust PA, a charity established by Rob and Gerri Blundell. Rob nominated himself for the MBE.
Trust PA has contributed over £600,000 towards raising awareness of spinal injuries and funding research and treatments. Their campaign, "EYES UP Safe Play Rugby," was adopted by the Welsh Rugby Union and later incorporated into World Rugby guidelines.
Matthew Rhys is one of the charity’s patrons and last year became a patron of a new fund established by Spinal Research to continue sharing P-A’s message.
Rob described his reaction to the MBE news as
"hollol annisgwyl ond rhyfeddol"(completely unexpected but wonderful) and said he was
"wir yn emosiynol"(truly emotional) upon hearing it.
He added,
"Y gwir yw bod cymaint o bobl wych wedi helpu a fy nghefnogi dros y blynyddoedd - yn enwedig Gerri sydd bob amser wrth fy ochr - mae hi'n haeddu hyn hyd yn oed yn fwy. Felly, byddaf yn derbyn yr anrhydedd arbennig hon nid yn unig ar fy rhan i ond ar ran Gerri a phawb arall sydd wedi bod yn rhan o'r daith."
Louisa McGinn, Chief Executive of Spinal Research, said,
"Allen ni ddim bod yn fwy balch bod Rob wedi cael ei gydnabod yn y ffordd arbennig iawn yma. Mae ef a Gerri yn gwpl gwirioneddol nodedig sydd wedi ymdopi â'r drasiedi waethaf y gall rhiant ei hwynebu ac, er cof am eu mab, wedi gweithio'n ddiflino dros y 25 mlynedd diwethaf i geisio gwneud gwahaniaeth i eraill."
Follow Cymru Fyw on Facebook, X, Instagram, or TikTok for updates. Send story ideas to cymrufyw@bbc.co.uk or contact via WhatsApp at 07709850033. for the latest news from Wales on your mobile device.
