A year on from the crash that changed his life, ex-Tigers star and his partner are celebrating their first anniversary in their ‘perfect’ village home
Mercury rugby writer Bobby Bridge speaks to the girlfriend of paralysed former Leicester Tigers player Taylor Gough about how they are building a new life together
“I PUT the phone down and I was crying. Taylor was welling up, these people actually exist. It was so overwhelming, I don’t know what we would’ve done without them.”
Tilly Mantell had just received a phone call that would transform her life and that of her boyfriend, Taylor Gough, who is paralysed from the chest down.
Aged just 20, the Leicester Tigers back row was living his dream of becoming a professional rugby player with a senior contract when he was involved in a devastating car accident in June 2020.
The strapping 16 stone backrow forward suffered six broken ribs, a punctured lung, a fractured eye socket, shoulder, neck and back, and a broken jaw in four places. While fortunate to escape alive from the collision with a tree, the talented young rugby player had lost the use of his legs.
A year on from that near-fateful day, something remarkable has occurred in a north west Leicestershire village.
The couple bought a home in
Heather for their fresh start together.
But early efforts to convert the property to become suitable for Taylor to live an independent life had hit the buffers.
“Gaining funding for the work that needed to be done is difficult as I am in full-time employment,” said Tilly.
“I got quotes for a lot of things, but as soon as you try and get anything related to a disability, it becomes so much more expensive.
“Like, we got quoted £10,000 for a wet room, which was a lot more than we thought it would be.”
Then came “that” phone call. A log burner was way down their list of priorities, it was firmly in their “dream” column.
But making tentative inquiries about one sparked a chain of events that would change their lives together.
“Someone we had spoken to said he would get us the log burner for free,” said Tilly.
“He then said he could sort Taylor’s wet room, covering the labour as well as the parts.
“He sorted out my bathroom. He got other people involved to help out.
“All of a sudden we had people donating bricks, a boiler company donated a boiler.
“He did all these amazing things, someone we’d never met before.”
Rick Reilly, from Mayo Plumbing & Heating Services, was the individual, along with his wife Carina, whose initial generosity sparked a tidal wave of goodwill.
“Their son is a very similar age to Taylor and plays for Tamworth Rugby Club,” said Tilly.
“I think it struck him that this could happen to anyone and he really wanted to help.”
Doorways were widened and a lift and new kitchen installed that would allow Taylor to cook independently and safely. “We’ve been so lucky,” said Tilly. “We didn’t want the house to feel ‘disabled’. We didn’t want a constant reminder of that and we haven’t because the lift is in its own room.
“The house is absolutely perfect. It needed a lot of work, we’d really underestimated how much we needed to do.
“So many people were involved, it’s really overwhelming.
“People worked around their actual job as well, coming in the evenings and weekends.
“And it all happened in quite a quick turnaround too.”
Taylor, who documents his journey on his personal Instagram account, is tackling his rehabilitation head-on with the support of the Matt Hampson Foundation, which was created by the former Leicester Tigers player who suffered paralysis during a training session with England U21s in 2005.
A handbike that was funded by donations made by Leicester Tigers supporters has proven to be a salvation for Taylor.
“That changed his life,” Tilly said.
“That and his new wheelchair meant he can bike alongside me as I am running.
“It’s given him so much freedom and independence.
“He’s smashing his physio. It’s all fallen into place. We’re settled in our new home in time for our first anniversary together.
“And because of what everyone has done at the house; friends, family, and so many other people, we now have the final piece of the puzzle too.”