On August 26th 2022, Lorraine went to the beach to celebrate her birthday weekend with her partner, Ian, something they had done many times before. Through a simple trip and fall on the sand, she became instantly paralysed from the neck down, severely damaging her spinal cord at C4 level. She was airlifted to the hospital and the initial prognosis for Lorraine was that she was unlikely to ever move, let alone walk, again.

This one sentence utterly devastated the family in an instant, throwing the entirety of the future into jeopardy and how this would change not just Lorraine’s life, but the family forever.

Despite the shattering diagnosis, Lorraine was not willing to give up on the hope of gaining back independence. The single strand of hope we had was the barely noticeable twitch on her right big toe.

After a week in intensive care, ventilated to support her breathing, she was eventually moved to the spinal unit, where she awaited seven weeks until it was safe enough to proceed with an operation to hopefully stabilise and save her neck.

Although she did not break the bones in her neck, the accident had caused serious damage to her spinal cord, through C3 to C6, and a major operation was needed to secure metal plates, stabilising her.

The operation was successful; however, Lorraine was told that it would take years of physiotherapy and support to start to move and control her own body again.

She was then moved to a specialist spinal rehabilitation centre, but the true test of determination would be challenged as Lorraine started her intense physiotherapy.

Lorraine is a mother, partner, sister, daughter, pet-parent, auntie and friend to many. Working previously as a childminder, a steward in Saint Mary's stadium, a healthcare assistant at UHS and a valued member of a supermarket team, Lorraine has always been hard-working and determined.

Despite all the hardships in her life, she's always strived to make the best out of any situation. There have been dark and difficult days recently as Lorraine comes to terms with what her life now looks like, but she is ever focused and doing everything she can to walk again one day.

We would like to fundraise to support Lorraine with the medical and practical assistance she needs to assist her in her recovery, maintain her independence at home and support her ongoing physiotherapy.

The road to recovery is long and it is not known what the next steps for treatment will entail. The funds raised here will be used to support Lorraine in her ongoing recovery over the next few years, providing her with intense physiotherapy, equipment and additional support.

We want Lorraine to be as comfortable as possible and she is keen to maintain her independence as much as possible. Any donations would be greatly appreciated to go towards supporting Lorraine’s future recovery.

Will keep you updated every step of the way as she makes small but challenging steps towards recovery.

In the words of her childhood hero:

“Nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” - Rocky Balboa

Thank you for your donations.