2 years ago Dr Georgina Budd was in a car crash that dramatically changed her life. During her second year of in hospital training a freak accident resulted in a broken spine and spinal cord injury. She was completely paralysed from the waist down and had to learn how to live her life from a wheelchair.

Since then she has done remarkably well and has managed to return to training part time. However, this has only been possible with privately funded therapy and equipment. Life is still a struggle and while she is desperate to complete her training programme she is unable to financially support her therapy without help from fund-raising. Currently she's aiming to channel all funds to replacing her power wheel system (which recently broke!)

While completing her training Georgie has tried hard to continue fundraising and updating her 'tribe', as well as running a blog (started the week of her accident and a brutally honest look at spinal cord injury and recovery from trauma) and now penning a book about her experiences. An copy of her first blog entry is included below.

Please follow along with her story via Facebook or the website - both of which are listed below - and if able PLEASE support the campaign. Any contribution will be thoroughly appreciated and THANKYOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT THIS FAR!!

Lately a local girl called Imogen from Georgie's home town is shaving her head to raise money for the fund and sponsorship can be paid directly via this page. BIG THANKYOU TO IMOGEN!

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/buddlearningtowalk/?ref=bookmarks

WEBSITE: https://buddgf.wixsite.com/georgiebuddrehabfund

The 10seconds that changed my life - Georgina Budd

Car crashes happen every day; from fender benders to the tragically fatal. I had felt the sting of them before when we lost my younger cousin a few years previous. I had known multiple people who'd had them in different degrees and who'd lost loved one themselves. I'd treated a number in my recent junior doctor post in A and E. I wasn't arrogant enough to believe I'd never be involved in one and yet still it's hard to get my head round what happened just last Friday.

As I made my way to work from my home in Kidwelly I misjudged a bend on a 50mph road and ended up in the wrong lane. Two cars were coming and I didn't want to hurt anyone so I eased the break and drove straight off the road. What was waiting on the other side is mostly a blur but the result was car Vs tree. Nature is far more resilient than we give it credit for the tree definitely won.

The first thing I remember when I woke - the force of the airbag having KO'd me - is screaming in pain but worse, much worse than the pain was the sickening tightness in my stomach as I realised I couldn't feel my legs. I couldn't MOVE my legs even though I was begging them to. As a doctor I already knew what that probably meant.

One kind passerby, several heroic emergency men and women, a superb air ambulance crewe and a fantastic ED department later and the the bare bones (pun not intended) of it was this. I had a T12 retropulsion or 'burst' fracture - essentially I'd broken one of my back bones into several bits and this bony shrapnel was now pressing on my spinal cord (the bit with all the important nerves in). This plus all the traumatic swelling was causing immense pressure on my cord. I was quickly operated on by a talented neurosurgeon to limit the damage and spare as much function as possible. I am extremely grateful for his speedy action because with such injuries time is function - unfortunately with such injuries a lot of the damage happens at initial impact. The car crash started the fire, he put it out, but somethings that burn can't be replaced.

The next 24hours were a cocktail of pain, morphine, fear and questions. Question upon questions upon more bloody questions. My mind only stopped when I was asleep and even that was fitful. It was like having a body and mind that were on fire and the only thing that wasn't in danger of burning out was my eyes; they were constantly wet.

The questions ranged from the obvious 'will I ever walk again?' To 'will I ever take a normal poo again? OMG What about sex?' (Don't lie to yourselves that's definitely a big deal), Onto 'could I still get pregnant? Should I get pregnant? I mean what if I can run around and play with them? Kids deserve mum's that look after them not the other way around... I mean maybe this isn't even fair on my fiancé, he didn't sign up for a cripple for a bride... And the wedding, will I be able to walk down the aisle? Have a first dance?' The disappointment and sheer emotional agony of the mere possibility of a single word, No hung around my battered body like a dead weight. 'Hang on! Will I ever ride roller coasters again???'

All of this was swirling in my head along with a side dish of guilt - for even though non-intentional I couldn't bear to see what a single error in judgement was putting my love ones through. My heart was breaking for them and as people began to message me asking how I was doing I wouldn't know how to say I still couldn't feel or move my legs. I didn't want to hear any more people crying because of this.

Needless to say it's obvious the first thing I asked when I next saw the Drs. What are the chances I will ever walk again?

They didn't know.

We still don't.

Here's what I know so far...

I have a complete L2 spinal cord injury; this means I have no true sensation or voluntary movement below my hips. In the majority of cases with 6 weeks bed rest (no more that 30 degrees of sitting up) and extensive specialist rehabilitation (6-18months) I may regain some function. With my injury a reasonable expectation would be to be able to stand with crutches for short periods; only ~10% chance of regaining enough ankle function to walk.

I am impatient and actually truly excited to start my recovery and learn to walk again and even though I am naturally heart broken and accept there are hard,hard days ahead I've made my decision.

This happened to me. It's shit, but that doesn't change the fact what's done is done. My decision is to accept that, and try my absolute best to move on.

Because I can do that.

And the best part, legs or no legs I am still me.