Touring Car Champion Colin Turkington brings smiles to children with facial palsy

October 9, 2013

Northern Irish auto racing driver Colin Turkington recently invited two very special guests and their families for a day out at Silverstone. Two children, one with facial palsy due to CHARGE syndrome and another who was born with facial palsy, were given a day to remember. The two families were given VIP passes for Saturday 28th September, the day of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship qualifier. Colin’s partner Louise and their son first of all took everyone to the eBay Motors hospitality area, very exciting because on the door it said ‘invited guests only’.  Another important guest who accompanied one of the children was Touc the Toucan (a school puppet), who would be expected to report back to his Year 2 class about his adventures on the following Monday!

Colin then arrived in the hospitality area to have a chat with both the families, he explained a little about his own experiences with Bell’s palsy earlier in the year and how difficult it had been especially with being in the public eye. People often say that you never really understand the difficulties of living with facial paralysis unless you have experienced it yourself, and Colin’s own experiences spurred him on to organise this special day for the children. The adults also enjoyed learning a little more about how the touring car point and weight system is worked out, it is certainly a little less predictable than the Grand Prix!

After some refreshments Colin had to prepare for his important race so it was time to explore Silverstone. There were lots of different races and not just the touring cars, so there was plenty going on.  Having paddock access meant the families could walk around the back of the garages and see everything that was going on behind the scenes as well.  Later in the day everyone was given a tour inside the garage and there was a photo opportunity alongside Colin’s car. Everyone was amazed at the lorries that transport the cars and kit from race to race, and then convert into a changing and refreshment area!  It was then time for more refreshments and some yummy cake in the eBay Motors hospitality area which went down a treat with the kids and adults alike.

The race itself was very exciting and Colin was very pleased with the result, he achieved 4th place in the qualifying.  Unfortunately things didn’t go so well on the Sunday but here at Facial Palsy UK we will all be rooting for him in the final this Sunday.  After the race Colin spent more time talking to the children and there were plenty of photo opportunities, he also made sure the children left with sponsor eBay Motors caps which the children were delighted with.

We are extremely grateful for Colin and his partner Louise’s efforts in putting on such a special day for these two families.  Bell’s palsy, the condition Colin was diagnosed with, is the most common cause of facial palsy and fortunately many people make a good recovery from it, but there are also hundreds of thousands of people who live with permanent facial paralysis due to a myriad of different causes.  There is a lack of awareness of the condition with the general public and also health professionals. In fact, a recent study reported that 44% of Bell’s palsy patients do not receive recommended treatment and are therefore at risk of long-term disability. Colin states he is recovering well and only notices a few problems now when he is tired, we would like to thank him and his partner Louise for putting on such a special day for two children with facial palsy and their families.