Beautiful Bride
Use attributes for filter ! | |
Google books | books.google.com |
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Originally published | September 13, 2014 |
Authors | Tammy Falkner |
Genres | Romance Novel |
Youth Novel | |
New Adult Fiction | |
Contemporary Romance | |
Date of Reg. | |
Date of Upd. | |
ID | 3034191 |
About Beautiful Bride
Visit with: Logan, Emily, and KitPete and ReaganMatt, Sky, Seth, Joey, Mellie, Hoppy and MattyPaul, Friday, Hayley, and PJand SamThe whole family is hanging out at the beach for a special event, and would love for you to come and join them. There might even be a wedding! . . .
TV presenter Matthew Bassett shows life goes on with spinal injury
A Trip to The Beach 11 years ago changed Matthew Bassett's life forever. Now a TV presenter, he is determined to show life does not stop after a Spinal Cord injury.
It started like any other day but it became one I would never forget.
I was 19 and I remember The Sun was out when I arrived at The Beautiful seaside town of Broad Haven in Pembrokeshire on Friday, 13 May 2011. The Sea looked gloriously inviting.
Swim shorts on, shoes off. I ran down The Beach , dived and hit my head on a sandbank.
The Chaos that followed was unforgettable.
Panic rushed through My Body as I realised I couldn't move my arms and legs and I was in danger of drowning.
It's staggering how long a person can hold their breath, knowing that life could be Taken Away with One More crashing wave.
I prayed, thought about My Family , and exhaled.
Peace replaced fear, The Waves became calm, and I closed my eyes.
As you can tell by reading this, you know I was saved.
That first breath out of The Sea was the sweetest, most life-affirming breath of oxygen.
By that time, I remember a substantial gathering of nosey people trying to find out what had happened on the usually peaceful beach.
After being pulled from The Sea , it was decided that an air ambulance would Be My best way back to a hospital.
It was my First Time in a helicopter, and all I saw were the rotor blades above my head, they were mesmerising and almost sent me to sleep.
However, The Paramedic wouldn't let me drift off.
" Keep Talking to me, Matthew, " was refreshing to hear actually - I usually get told to be quiet.
After 20 Minutes , we arrived at University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff.
My mum met me as I entered A& E. I can't imagine how she felt when a doctor explained that I'd got a suspected broken neck.
I don't recall much of that evening, a mix of beeps, buzzers and nurses telling me it would be alright.
After various scans, my neck was put into a rigid collar. Tape was also put over my forehead and stuck to The Bed to prevent me from doing further harm by moving.
A doctor then came, and broke The News that I had fractured a bone in my neck and would require an operation. An injury that high can often affect all four limbs, called tetraplegia.
There would be a high chance that I would never walk again.
I can't recall how I felt hearing that, and After All the commotion of The Day , it didn't Hit Me until days after.
The Next day I was booked in for an early morning appointment in theatre to Fix Me up.
After a couple of weeks of recovery, I was transferred to Rookwood Hospital 's spinal rehab unit in Llandaff, Cardiff, to learn how To Live again as a person with no movement in my legs, uncontrollable bowels and a
A nasty pressure sore kept me in bed for three months. During that time, I watched thousands of house renovations on TV's Homes Under The Hammer .
Getting Up into a wheelchair was The Next challenge.
Goals were set every month, to See Me through to being discharged. Things such as getting into a car and Getting In and out of bed.
Finally, after 10 months of Hard Work , it was time to Go Home . Strangely, not the same home I left on Friday, 13 May, but somewhere new.
It felt weird going to a new property, but at the same time, it was a Fresh Start .
The House in Pencoed, Bridgend, had to have a couple of adaptations: A ramp to The Front door, an automatic key fob fancy door and a wet room.
I missed The Hospital . It was too quiet At Home , with no beeps, no loud snoring, no regular tea served and no all-day attention. Being At Home was when The Real rehab started, and it was hard.
Life felt great when I was With Friends and family, but strip it back to when nobody was around, and I honestly couldn't Work Out How To achieve a full life.
However, being given more care hours to have a Personal Assistant with me gave me more time to practice Life Skills that would aid independence.
Things such as emptying my catheter bag meant I would be able to pop out and about on My Own and have a few beers without needing to ask anyone for assistance.
Sometimes it takes one positive boost to be a catalyst for change. For me, independently going to the loo was just that.
" Life doesn't stop after a Spinal Cord injury" is a quote that has been drilled into me ever since my accident. Understanding that took a while.
But once I got my head into gear, I taught myself to get into bed, travelled independently on trains and started flying again.
In 2014, I was offered a job as an independent living advisor on the same spinal ward I was treated on. I was absolutely delighted.
Nine years on, I still work there and continue to chat to the patients about Life After injury.
It's a job I cherish and take seriously, as I know how important it is to see and hear that there is a fulfilling Life After injury.
Yes, life looks different and can be difficult at times, but on The Flip side, it can also bring The Most unexpected and beautiful surprises.
When I was a patient, I met a gorgeous Student Nurse called Amanda who had The Best hair washing technique ever.
Whenever she was on shift, I would ask to have a hair scrub and have a little talk with her.
Sadly, when her placement was over, I didn't see her for a few years, then in 2017, we bumped into each other and went for a few Christmas Drinks .
We haven't stopped seeing each other since.
We fell in love, and got married in April 2021. She was The Most Beautiful Bride on The Most Beautiful Day .
Since my accident, I decided to Say Yes to any opportunity that came My Way , something that has seen me become a TV presenter on.
I feel So Lucky to travel around Wales making great little films showcasing that it doesn't matter if you need a wheelchair to get around, you can still have an adventure.
My story could've easily ended on The Day I had my accident, but it didn't. It was, however, the start of a new chapter.
Whatever you're going through, grab every special moment you can.
Understand that Hard Times come, but they're Not Here to stay and see a bright future ahead.
You've got this.
Source of news: bbc.com