Nicola iis a true woman of courage:

AN afternoon of family fun was to change Nicola McDonnell’s life forever, after she fell from a bouncy castle, receiving a devastating spinal injury,

Eight years later, and Nicola (33) has carved a new life for herself as an administrator with the Irish Wheelchair Association in Drogheda, helping other young wheelchair users to live life to their fullest.

Nicola’s story began on April 18th 2010, when she was celebrating a family christening, and climbed aboard the bouncy castle to join in the fun.

“Everything changed that day, but if you learn to accept it, you realise there is life out there,” says the Rathmullen woman.

“The way I fell, I suffered a complete spinal injury at the neck, and straight away I couldn’t feel my legs.”

Unfortunately for Nicola (pictured), she insisted the other guests remove her from the castle before the ambulance arrived, potentially worsening the injury.

“They didn’t want to move me, but I made them”, recalls the mum to Letitia (16). “I knew damage had been done, because I had no feelings in my legs, but when they put me in a chair, I could feel something change, and the paramedics had to sedate me when they arrived, I was panicking so much.”

Meeting the positive and vibrant woman you see today, it’s hard to imagine her any other way, but the accident started a low point in Nicola’s life that proved hard to shake.

“The first month in the Mater hospital was very tough and I just wanted it all to end,” she says candidly.

“When I was in Dun Laoghaire (the National Rehabilitation Hospital), I was sure I was going to walk again, and then when discussing my goals, they started talking about the wheelchair, it hit me what lay ahead.”

Nicola refused to leave her bed for a whole week, putting herself in danger of serious infection.

“I thought my life was over, and I just wanted to go home. Then I thought, I either let the injury beat me, or I beat it.” It didn’t prove as easy at that once back in Drogheda. “I have an amazing family, and support network of friends, but it was hard to get back into the community, and Letitia was only eight at the time,” she explains.

“I got into a really bad rut in December 2010, where I wasn’t exercising or eating properly. I could barely lift a spoon to my mouth I was so depressed. I didn’t look for help – I could have got counselling in Dun Laoghaire, but how can a woman who is able-bodied tell you how to feel - I needed to talk to someone in the same circumstances so they could understand.”

Nicola eventually found help from Joan McCarthy, who had an even more severe injury, and she says she really connected with her and got great support.

“She got me in a good place to start accepting what had happened and where I was in my life,” says Nicola, who became involved with Irish Wheelchair Association five years ago.

‘And it was when I got into sport again at the start of 2011 that I was really able to turn the corner and become more positive. It’s all about acceptance – you go through sadness and anger – but I’m very positive now, and I have a wonderful daughter who keeps me going. She was the one who really helped me get on with life.”

If you would like to talk to someone about a difficult time in your life, contact the local Samaritans on (041) 984 3844.