Two years after his catastrophic spinal injury, Sharks Have Heart are dedicating 50-50 Charity Raffle fundraising at Sunday's NRL match to former player Nathan Stapleton and the Family of League.
Shark #440, Stapleton played 61 NRL games for the club between 2009 and 2014.
He survived fracturing the C3 and C4 vertebrae in his neck while playing country rugby union for Boorowa in 2022 but was left as a quadriplegic.
Family of League Foundation set up a trust to help cover the ongoing medical costs for Stapleton, who is reliant on a wheelchair and ventilator.
With loving wife Kate, he is focused on raising their young sons Angus and Harry.
Stapleton recently had to use a large chunk from his trust to buy a modified vehicle. Sharks Have Heart – the club's community team – are directing donations to the 34-year-old to ease the financial strain as he navigates a new life.
Stapleton’s emotional story - ‘A Current Affair’ feature
50-50 Charity Raffle crew members will be selling tickets at the Easter Sunday NRL match against the Raiders at PointsBet Stadium via hand-held electronic devices.
In a win-win, half of the proceeds will go to one lucky ticket holder, drawn at random, and the remainder given to Stapleton's Family of League trust.
"Nathan has inspired us all with his positivity, resilience and family-first attitude," Sharks Head of Community and Government Relations Vinh Tran said.
"While he's made incredible progress, including returning to work as a farm manager last year, 'Stapo' and his family face significant ongoing medical costs.
"We encourage the Sharks faithful to get behind one of their own by buying a ticket in the 50-50 Raffle, either at the game or online, or donating directly to his trust."
If you can't attend the game, CLICK HERE to buy a 50-50 Charity Raffle ticket or CLICK HERE to donate to Stapleton's Family of League trust.
The Sharks have stood beside Stapleton since his injury, hosting fundraising initiatives including an 'old boys' golf day, a Flow After Dark yoga event at PointsBet Stadium and heritage and ANZAC jersey auctions.
United for Stapo
Despite his challenges, Stapleton has remained upbeat.
"I had to make a choice. I could either sit here and feel sorry for myself and bring everyone down with me, or suck it up, accept it for what it is and focus on the things that I can do," he said in an emotional A Current Affair interview in 2022.
