Accidents CAN HAPPEN!

Hi,

My name is Mary-Jean, everybody calls me MJ.

On the 19th April 2022, I was coming down the stairs on my way to my butchers (Joseph Morris), to go and get my meat for my birthday party the next day, and my retirement at the end of the week. But as I got to the 5th step of the bottom of the stairs, my life changed totally! I was holding my handbag and overnight bag and an empty gin glass. All of a sudden my foot slipped and I went straight forward in a speed of light and smashed my face in half on the cupboard at the bottom of the stairs! Before I hit the floor I had this floating sensation where I thought I was leaving my body and I thought I was going to die. On hitting the floor, I never felt a thing, my legs were half way up the stairs, and my body was twisted to the floor. All I could see was blood around my face pumping out but I didn't know where it was coming from! So I pronounced my last goodbyes to my partner Tony who had rang an ambulance, and he told me that wasn't going to happen and immediately shoved a towel under my neck and face to stem the bleeding. I cracked a joke how he had a good looking woman on his arm but now he was left with one who looked like she'd been hit by a bus! Lol.

 

The ambulance came quite quickly, and on arrival by this time I'd been drugged as my back was causing me some pain, and both of my hands felt like they were on fire!

Before I knew it, I had two plastic surgeons working on my face, my nose had been split in half and broken. The complete top section between my top lip, under my nose and a part of my cheek had been completely severed off, it was so bad it exposed my teeth and cheekbone.

It took the plastic surgeons quite some time to first stitch the inside and then the outside. I did tell him it was my warped way of getting a cheap botox treatment! Ha!

I was told the accident caused damaged to the spinal nerve cord, which caused this excruciating burning sensation in my hands. I couldn't hold, lift or touch anything, or be touched - it was so painful. I was spoon fed by nurses, and this continued for 2 and a half weeks.

 

For the first 6 weeks, I was in the University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire. Then I was moved to the spinal specialist clinic in Oswestry where I started my rehabilitation, but first I had to lay down flat on my bed for another week! I was royally p*ssed off and just so frustrated because as anyone who knows me, would know that I like to be busy and on the move, and I could feel my legs getting weaker.

 

During my time at the spinal clinic, they all worked so hard to make my time with them as comfortable as possible. So my days were filled with a mix of occupational therapy and physiotherapy. And then in between these sessions I would make my way to Horatio's beautiful garden within the grounds in a wheelchair. Going to the garden was everybody's sanctuary where we would ask questions of each other of how we ended up there. And the stories I heard were horrendous, all simple little things which had now caused them to be paralysed. Some were paralysed from the waist down from simply tripping over or paralysed from the neck down. The most common reason I heard was falling down stairs! I felt really guilty because I was one of the lucky ones who was able to walk out of there. This is why I feel compelled to try and give them something back. They rely on charitable donations to function and fulfill their aims and objectives and care for those who need it the most.

 

Do you want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money in aid of THE ROBERT JONES AND AGNES HUNT ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL CHARITABLE FUND and every donation will help. For this fundraiser, I will pledge to complete 100 laps around the block whilst using my new trendy (but temporary!) 4 x 4 walker!!! See me in the pic! Don't I look beautiful! But at least I can walk and am mobile, for which I am very grateful.

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.