Hi everyone, When I was 13, I walked into surgery believing it would make me better. I never imagined it would change my life forever. What was meant to help me instead resulted in a spinal injury that altered everything in an instant. Unexpected complications during the procedure caused damage to my spine, and the step that was supposed to lead to healing became the moment my world shifted completely. I woke up to a reality I wasn’t prepared for — weakness, fear, and overwhelming uncertainty about my future. At 13, you don’t think about losing mobility or independence. You think about school, friends, and growing up. In a single moment, that innocence was replaced with hospital rooms and conversations no child should ever have to face. In the weeks that followed, my condition deteriorated rapidly. I lost all movement from my shoulders down. I lost the ability to swallow. Eventually, I couldn’t breathe on my own and needed a tracheostomy to survive. My parents were faced with an unimaginable choice — continue pursuing further surgery or move me to hospice for end-of-life care. They chose to fight for me. I survived, but I was left quadriplegic. I had no voice and could only communicate with my eyes. My life became a cycle of hospital appointments, rehabilitation, and learning how to live in a body that no longer worked the way it once had. I grieved deeply — not just for my physical abilities, but for the version of myself who walked into that operating room unaware of what was coming. There were moments of anger, heartbreak, and exhaustion. Times when the road ahead felt impossible. But within that pain, I found strength I didn’t know I had. 

Through determination, relentless rehabilitation, and the unwavering support of those around me, I began to rebuild my life. 

This is why I need your support. Specialist rehabilitation, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and advanced equipment are life-changing — but they are also costly. Ongoing treatment gives me the best possible chance to continue regaining movement, building strength, and increasing my independence. Funding will help cover intensive therapy programs, mobility equipment, assistive technology, and the long-term care I require to live as fully and independently as possible. Your support isn’t just financial — it’s hope. It’s the opportunity for continued progress. It’s the chance to keep fighting for more movement, more independence, and more of the life I am working so hard to build. There are still hard days. Days when progress feels slow. Days when I feel the weight of how different my life is from what I once imagined. But I am still here. Still determined. Still fighting. Thank you so much for taking your time to read this. It means a lot.

Love Robyn x