Hi everyone. Myself and my partner Ash, are trying to raise funds to buy and adapt a safe, accessible bungalow so our family can finally live together again after a sudden and devastating spinal injury changed everything. 

 My Story 

Seven months ago, I was a busy parent of four, managing the beautiful chaos of our blended family. Life was full, and we had just poured all our savings and remortgaged our home to remodel our modest 3-bedroom terraced house, using every inch so each of our children could have their own room and we could all be together. It’s cramped we utilised every bit of space but it WAS home. 

 My Injury 

That ordinary life shattered in an instant. While completing the mundane task of hanging out the washing, I slipped. The fall caused Cauda Equina Syndrome, a spinal emergency I’d never heard of. I didn't recognize the symptoms at first, and when I went to A&E, the urgency was not just missed, I was misdiagnosed. What requires surgery within 24-48 hours was left untreated for almost three weeks, until I was taken by ambulance for emergency spinal surgery. I woke up paralyzed from the waist down on my left side. A severe spinal infection followed, leading to two more surgeries. I am now permanently paralyzed from the waist down, with no bladder or bowel control, and will spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair. I am 34 years old. 

Our Current Reality Since the accident.

I have been in Preston hospital before being moved to Southport spinal rehab unit where my list of injures has grown to include dystonia, and severe muscle tone and spasticity that is spreading up my body causing my lower limbs to enter into violent spasm and lock into place. An occupational health assessment completed a couple of weeks ago deemed our current home unsafe and inappropriate for my needs. The only support offered so far is a slide sheet so I can be pulled across the floor, a bath board, and a toilet stool. Our stairs are unsafe, requiring Ash to physically support me up and down them just to use the bathroom and say goodnight to our children. We have even sacrificed our family living room selling the furniture so we could use that room to sleep in for accessibility purposes, leaving us with no communal living area. The council has told us they cannot provide an adapted home large enough for all six of us. We are trapped, with no equity in our house and bound by a debt management plan after Ash lost income caring for me and I was left with only Statutory Sick Pay. Which has since run out also. 

My Needs Going Forward 

My needs going forward are a little overwhelming—which is why we’re (regrettably) asking for help. This wasn’t our first port of call; it’s something many people who care about us have encouraged us to do. When I leave the rehabilitation centre, I am going to need a home that works for my new reality, somewhere fully accessible, with the right equipment, the right layout, and the right tools to make daily life possible and comfortable. We are now hoping to buy a bungalow that can be adapted to suit my needs. I will also need a specialist pair of powered wheelchair wheels, a customised active wheelchair, a wheelchair-adapted vehicle, and a whole range of technology and adaptations that help me live safely in a home with the people I love. Some support will come through the NHS and local services, and some basic items have been provided. However, there’s a long list of things that simply aren’t provided—the things that make a house liveable, that keep me engaged in the world, and that give me as much independence and dignity as I can have. That’s what this fundraiser is for. How 

We're Contributing & How You Can Help  

We are committed to this journey together. Alongside donations, we will be fundraising every step of the way. Myself and Ash will be running a half marathon this October and competing in a Hyrox event next year. Our children are eager to get involved in Parkruns and colour runs. In a powerful symbol of our journey, Ash also plans to climb Snowdon when the weather is safer, carrying the combined weight of myself and my wheelchair up and back down. Every donation here is being given specifically to help with things like: · A specialist pair of powered wheelchair wheels and a customised active wheelchair. · Essential accessibility adaptations to transform a bungalow into a suitable, liveable home. · Medical supplies not provided by the NHS, such as heated leg flowtrons to regulate circulation and body temperature, and specially made waterproof foot warmers/covers ( due to my inability to wear shoes) · Therapy and rehabilitation such as regular deep tissue massage and hydrotherapy. · Specialist equipment and practical support that improves my comfort, independence, and wellbeing. These funds aren’t intended to replace or top up any care the NHS or local authority provides. They’re for everything around that, the things that genuinely change the way I will be able to live. 

 How the Funds Will Be Used 

Our primary goal is to buy and adapt a bungalow, creating a safe, accessible home for our family of six. Alongside this, donations will be allocated to the specific needs listed above. All donations will be held and used strictly for these purposes. We will keep a clear record of spending, and myself and Ash will post regular updates here to keep you informed of my medical progress until discharge, and then on exactly how the funds raised are being spent. 

Thank You We are hugely grateful for all the love and support everyone has and continues to show us. To those who have reached out on social media or popped in, it has made all the difference. I still have one confirmed surgery, and possibly a few others, to face before I can come home. Once home, it will have been roughly 10 months since I lived with my family. I just want to be able to go back to them comfortably and learn to enjoy my new normal in surroundings that are safe and offer me independence and dignity. 

To follow our journey more closely: 

I have been documenting everything on my social media for a while now, which may give a deeper understanding of how we got here. You can find the links below. We will also be making posters for local areas which some of our friends and family have requested to display. if you could and want display one, please let us know and we can get one to you. If you’re able to donate, thank you. It will genuinely make a meaningful difference. If you can’t, sharing this page still helps enormously. 

With all the gratitude and thanks in the world Tara, Ash and all 4 of our beautiful children. Follow my journey for regular, detailed updates: 

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