A couple from the U.K. tied the knot in the hospital after the bride became paralyzed from the chest down due to a “stunt” she attempted during her bachelorette weekend. This accident happened five weeks before their wedding was supposed to take place, per PEOPLE.
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Bride Paralyzed From Chest Down After Bachelorette Weekend “Stunt”
Now, 44-year-old Carla Horton has married her soulmate while still recovering in the hospital. While spending her bachelorette weekend with bridesmaids in Skegness, Carla tried something dangerous. She attempted a “stunt” that fractured her neck, leaving her paralyzed from the chest down. This is according to a statement from Nottingham University Hospitals.
“I made a silly misjudgement on my hen do and tried to do a stunt which I think I was just too old to do,” said Carla. “It resulted in me fracturing the top of my neck and being paralysed from the chest down.”
As soon as she performed the stunt, Carla was knocked unconscious. Once she came to, Carla realized quickly that she wasn’t able to move. Her friends immediately called for an ambulance before letting her future husband, Craig, know what happened.
“My sister-in-law rang to tell me that there had been an incident,” Craig recalled. “So when I was told exactly what had happened, my world caved in.” Craig drove to a Boston hospital and was shocked to see his bride-to-be “strapped up.”
Doctors had eventually transferred Carla to Pilgrim Hospital Boston for scans to assess the damage. They then brought her to Nottingham Queen’s Medical Center for an MRI and spinal surgery.
Hospital Saved Bride And Helped Couple Get Married
The couple was eternally grateful to the care that the hospital provided. Without how fast the doctors worked on Carla, they weren’t sure she’d be in her current condition.
“It was all within a 20-hour window which, to be quite honest, is probably the main reason why Carla is in the condition she is in now and able to fight,” Craig said. “If that work hadn’t been done in that timescale, we could have been in a completely different situation right now.”
Michelle Elmsley, the Spinal Cord Injury Lead, explained why time is of the essence with these accidents. “The rapid medical and surgical response which Carla received has helped to give her the best chance of recovery,” said Michelle. “However, spinal cord injuries are very complex and take extensive time to recover.”
Carla made the tough decision to tell Craig she was worried about burdening him. “My first thought when this happened was to say to Craig, ‘if you want to walk away you can and I would understand,'” she said.
Although Carla was worried that her severe injury would hurt their relationship, Craig refused. He said, “When I come in every day and see the fight in her, I do fall in love more each day. You do find your soulmate at some point and when you do, you know. And I’ve found mine.”
The couple decided to postpone their wedding. Instead, they had their wedding at a chapel in Queen’s Medical Center. Luckily, Nottingham University Hospitals Charity has helped with wedding arrangements. From food, to decorations, and even getting a hairdresser for Carla, they ended up having an incredible wedding on Friday, May 30.