Christmas Appeal – Hannah’s story
By supporting our Christmas Appeal, you can help someone believe in what’s possible after spinal cord injury. Read Hannah’s story and find out how Back Up was there for her.
“What I wish I had known” by Hannah
This isn’t a sob story. But there was a time when I couldn’t imagine my future. The moment I bounced off the trampoline, I knew something was wrong. My legs hadn’t given me the height I needed. I’d already committed to the move and suddenly I had no idea where I was in the air…until I wasn’t in the air at all. I was lying on the floor with pins and needles running through my whole body.
I was 16. Things were looking good for my hopes of becoming part of the England Trampolining Team. Then, in a few seconds, everything had changed…I was taken to hospital and transferred to Salford Royal for surgery. I don’t remember anyone explaining exactly what the surgery was for, or what they hoped it might achieve. My mum told me afterwards that, at one point, the doctors thought the slight movement I had in one arm might be all I would ever get back.
Was I scared? Of course I was. I had my whole life ahead of me, with plans and ambitions. And suddenly I couldn’t even go to the toilet without help. That was the reality I was trying to get my head around. Movement started to come back slowly. I had no idea where the journey would end, but I knew it would be a long one.
I spent Christmas in hospital that year. My family came and we had a buffet together in the canteen. It sounds like such a small thing, but being able to get into my chair and eat together meant everything. I still didn’t know what my future would actually look like.
On New Year’s Eve, I was transferred to Southport spinal centre. It was there I met someone from Back Up during a wheelchair skills session. She didn’t make a big speech or tell me how things would turn out. She simply told me that when I was ready, Back Up would be there. For the first time, I wasn’t talking about what happened to me, but what could happen next.
Back Up showed me that life after spinal cord injury could still be full of possibility – and that I wouldn’t have to figure it all out on my own.
While many of us are celebrating this Christmas, every two hours someone else in the UK starts that same journey. Your donation will help Back Up be there with practical skills, support and the belief that there is a future beyond spinal cord injury.
As soon as I was discharged, I got in touch. I was young, stubborn and hungry to learn. I wanted my independence back and to know how other people with spinal cord injuries lived ordinary lives. So, I signed up for one of Back Up’s multi-activity courses. That course was only possible because people donate to Back Up. I can honestly say it was one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. For the first time, I could really see what was possible with a spinal cord injury. When I came home, I was buzzing. I couldn’t stop smiling.
Today, eight years later, I’m part of the GB Wheelchair Rugby team, aiming for the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles. I still have to train hard, and nothing is guaranteed. Everyone’s journey is different, but one thing I often say is: “You don’t know how far you’ve come until you look back at where you started.”
Please give a gift this Christmas and help someone affected by spinal cord injury rediscover their confidence and hope for the future.
