Woman, 44, paralysed in hen-do stunt gets married in hospital ceremony

A woman's 'silly misjudgement' on her hen do led to a tragic that left her paralysed from the chest down, just weeks before her wedding day.

Carla Horton, 44, was enjoying her pre-wedding celebrations in when she attempted a party trick that went horribly wrong.

The bride-to-be from Dudley tried to perform a stunt, which resulted in a severe neck injury and . "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, and it resulted in me fracturing the top of my neck and being paralysed from the chest down," Carla recounted the harrowing experience.

After the fall, Carla lost consciousness momentarily and upon waking, found she could not move. Her friends quickly called an ambulance and informed her fiance, Craig Bolton, of the incident.

Craig shared his devastation: "My sister-in-law rang to tell me that there had been an incident, so when I was told exactly what had happened, my world caved in.

"I drove to Boston Hospital and was greeted with Carla in Resus, all strapped up. It was the absolute shock of my life."

The couple had planned their nuptials for Friday, May 30, at St Chad's Church in Coseley, but instead, Craig faced daily three-hour trips from Dudley to be by Carla's side, .

Carla, facing the reality of her condition, even offered Craig an out: "My first thought when this happened was to say to Craig 'if you want to walk away you can and I would understand'."

She expressed her concern about burdening him with her potential lifelong disability: "I think when something like this happens to someone you don't want to put them through the possibility that you might never walk again."

Craig, undeterred by adversity, confessed: "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."

Defying the wait conventional recovery might impose, Carla expressed her resolve: "All I said to Craig was I can't wait any longer to marry you. I don't want to wait 18 months or two years until I am possibly walking again, or possibly not. I cannot wait that long."

The couple were unanimous in their decision: "So, we both agreed that we would still do it on Friday, no matter where it was or how it was."

In a heartwarming display of community spirit, Nottingham University Hospitals Charity stepped in to make the wedding a reality, complete with food, decorations, flowers, and even a hairstylist for the bride.

Sam Cousens from the charity praised the collective efforts, remarking: "Everyone here has been deeply moved by Carla and Craig's story, and it was a huge privilege to collaborate with colleagues across Nottingham University Hospital, including the dedicated ward staff who go above and beyond, every day of the year."

Sam Cousens added: "As a charity, we were able to bring together our incredible network of supporters and generous local businesses, to help turn a heartbreaking situation into a day filled with love and positivity. We all send our warmest wishes to Carla and Craig on their wedding day".

Carla and Craig tied the knot in a private and heartwarming ceremony at the QMC chapel on Friday, May 30, surrounded by their nearest and dearest, along with the dedicated spinal cord injury team. NUH's spinal cord injury lead, Michelle Elmsley, expressed her deep satisfaction, saying: "It's been an honour to be part of Carla's journey.

"It is a rare opportunity to be part of something special for acute patients under our care, and being able to go 'beyond the norm' has made me extremely proud to be part of team NUH."

The couple also highlighted the swift action taken by medical staff as crucial to Carla's current condition.

Craig remarked: "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.

"If that work hadn't been done in that timescale, we could have been in a completely different situation right now."

Michelle underscored the critical nature of prompt care in cases like Carla's, stating: "The rapid medical and surgical response which Carla received has helped to give her the best chance of recovery.

"However, spinal cord injuries are very complex and take extensive time to recover."