At the time of my injury I was 26 and working as a bookkeeper, but spent all my free time outdoors, I have had horses all my life and horse trials and country fairs were what I looked forward to every year. My partner Tom and I were also in the process of buying a house and hoping to get a puppy as soon as we moved in.

I woke up at 3am on 22nd August 2019 with a pain in my back which got worse and turned into pins and needles and numbness in my legs. When I arrived at hospital the doctors discovered there was a mass on my spine that was crushing my spinal cord and I was transferred to Queen’s Medical Centre, where I was rushed into surgery.

It was later discovered that the mass was a haemotoma that had been caused by a spontaneous bleed. This was removed, however the damage that had been done to my spinal cord was irreparable.
I spent the next six weeks in hospital recovering and waiting for a space at the spinal unit at Sheffield where I spent a further ten weeks in rehab.

I’ve never really properly thought about the progress I’ve made, but when you put all of the small wins together. It adds up to a huge amount of progress. I have the strength and independence to drive my car alone, lifting my wheelchair in and out of the passenger seat. I have sat back on a horse for the first time since before my injury which felt incredible.

Also I am back on my feet! Although I still need support from my physios to stand and walk, I have already made more progress than I could have imagined. I was told by my consultants that my “complete” injury meant I would never have any movement below my injury level again.

What next?
In the short term I’m focusing on improving my strength, mobility and independence which has already made huge progress since joining the community at The Matt Hampson Foundation. I receive physiotherapy sessions with the amazing team there as well as regular peraonl training sessions with PT Sutty.

A new goal I have recently added is to be able to stand from my wheelchair with only other people for support in time for my best friends wedding in September and I’d love to get back into horseriding properly and compete in para dressage! One day I hope to be able to even take a few steps on my own again.

The Matt Hampson Foundation has helped me so much through my recovery and I want to be able to give something back, so if you can spare a few pennies to sponsor me in this huge challenge, I’d be very grateful.

Liv x

The Matt Hampson Foundation inspires and supports young people seriously injured through sport through its Get Busy Living Centre in rural Leicestershire. The centre provides expert physiotherapy, specialist personal training, support, mentoring and advice to people suffering a life-changing injury.The centre’s doors were opened in 2018 and is the brainchild of founder and ex-England and Leicester Tigers rugby player Matt Hampson, who himself experienced a life-changing injury in 2005 leaving him paralysed from the neck down, aged just 20.