Couple marry in hospital after hen-do accident leaves bride paralysed
A COUPLE tied the knot in a place neither of them could have anticipated after a hen-do party trick gone wrong left a bride paralysed.
Craig Bolton and Carla Horton were five weeks out from their wedding day when 44-year-old Carla was celebrating her hen weekend in Skegness and her life was forever changed.
After the 44-year-old attempted a stunt ahead of the night's celebrations, she fell, fractured her neck and was knocked unconscious.
She said: '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.'
Recalling the moment he received the phone call about what had happened, Carl said: '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.
Craig made the three-hour round trip from Dudley to Nottingham every day to be by Carla's side in hospital (Image: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust) 'I drove to Boston hospital and was greeted with Carla in Resus, all strapped up. It was the absolute shock of my life.'
Carla was initially taken to Skegness and District General, before being moved to Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, for scans to assess the extent of the damage and then transferred to Nottingham Queen's Medical Centre for an MRI and spinal surgery.
Craig has been doing the three-hour round trip from the couple's home in Dudley every day since the accident in April to be with his wife-to-be in hospital.
Carla said: 'My first thought when this happened was to say to Craig, 'if you want to walk away, you can and I would understand'.
'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 refused and 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 had planned for their wedding to take place on Friday, May 30, at St Chad's Church in Coseley, near to their home.
However, when the date came, the pair decided not to postpone and instead changed their plans and said their vows in the chapel at Queen's Medical Centre.
Carla said: '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.
'So, we both agreed that we would still do it on Friday, no matter where it was or how it was.'
The happy couple did not let the unthinkable get in the way of their happy day (Image: Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust) Carla and Craig had a private and intimate wedding at the hospital's chapel and enjoyed a little celebration with close family, friends and some of the 'amazing' Spinal Cord Injury team.
Sam Cousens, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Nottingham Hospitals Charity said: "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.'
NUH Spinal Cord Injury Lead, Michelle, added: '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.'
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