'My legs or yours?'

Horse mad since the age of three but born into a non-horsey family, I had regular lessons however I didn't have the opportunity to have a horse of my own until I was 13 years old. My first horse and best friend, Storm.

Just as my Saddle Club dreams were all coming true, I fell ill seemingly overnight at the age of 14.

 

Many days spent in hospital and tests later, I was diagnosed with a rare incurable disease known as the most painful disease in the world, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

Despite years of treatment, I have been left partially hemiplegic & have been diagnosed with secondary conditions.

 

I have spent the years following my diagnosis grieving the life I had and the life I thought I would have. Falling into very dark times, where my disability and the reality of my diagnosis had become too much. Where suicide seemed my best option.

 

My horses, in particular Storm, saved my life. Lending me their legs to make things beyond my wildest dreams come true. Every moment of this journey Storm has been by my side.

This is a story that can be seen as one of sadness and sheer bad luck, yet you will come to see how something seemingly so negative can become so positive, how you can survive what you thought you couldn't and to never give up hope.