The Alex Lewis Trust announced as The Safety in Beauty Diamond Awards Charity Partner 2018

The Safety in Beauty Diamond Awards has announced The Alex Lewis Trust as its charity partner for 2018.

The Trust is raising funds for Alex Lewis, who became a quadruple amputee with facial disfigurement after contracting Strep A infection in 2013.

As well as being a motivational speaker, Lewis works to help advance treatments and technology to help severely disabled people mentally and physically.

Alex’s story

It all began in November 2013, when Alex came down with what he thought was a case of man flu. However Alex’s flu like symptoms turned out to be a Strep A infection, which very quickly escalated into toxic shock syndrome, septicaemia and necrotising fasciitis.

It ravaged his body and face, leaving doctors no choice but to amputate his limbs and cut away the gangrenous parts of his lips.

As part of his rehabilitation, Alex’s amazing plastic surgeon used cutting-edge surgery to rebuild his face, creating new lips for him using skin grafts from his shoulder, and top permanent make artist Karen Betts was brought on board to complete the process of constructing Alex’s new mouth by creating lips and blending in the paler grafted skin with the tone of his face, and by creating stubble by implanting pigment into each follicle to make it look like 5 o’clock shadow.

Alex’s inspirational recovery

Today, Alex is embracing life and all its new challenges, doing more than a lot of able-bodied people. As well as being a motivational speaker, he is working with the NHS and several UK universities and tech companies to help advance treatments and technology that will help severely disabled people both mentally and physically.

He’s also started his own interior design company, designing contemporary interiors for people living with disabilities, and he’s taken up hand cycling and kayaking using custom-made prosthetics.

Alex’s journey doesn’t stop here. His future involves ongoing outlay for replacement prosthetics, wheelchairs and more. That’s why we’re fundraising at The Safety in Beauty Awards to help his wonderful projects and goals.

For more information on Alex   www.alex-lewis.co.uk

The Safety in Beauty Diamond Awards and Rainbow Gala Ball takes place on July 7 in London.