I was left paralysed on my hen do after mate pushed me in the pool – I had to decide whether to keep her as bridesmaid
A WOMAN has revealed the harrowing story of how her life was turned upside down on her hen do.
Rachelle Chapman was left paralysed from the waist down after a fun prank went wrong before her wedding day.
In the clip, which has garnered over 20 million TikTok views, Rachelle, now 38, became a quadriplegic in May 2010 at age 24.
She explained that while she isn’t thrilled about her lifelong condition, she’s decided to adopt a cheery outlook.
“I will never like being paralysed,” said the married mum-of-one. “But it’s all about looking at the positive things in life.”
Rachelle, a content creator and author, previously shared the details of her journey on TLC special “Rattled: A Paralysed Mother’s Story” in 2017.
She recounted the harrowing incident for online followers on the anniversary of her injury this spring.
“14 years ago today my whole world was rocked,” Chapman captioned a post explaining the unfortunate accident.
“I was 24-years-old and life was on a fantastic path,” she said.
“I had bought a house, got my first real job and had just gotten engaged to my college sweetheart.”
But while she was celebrating the lead up to her big day with friends disaster struck.
Rachelle revealed that she was pushed into a pool by one of the members of her bridal party.
She recalled: “But after a fun night with friends, we came back to the house to go swimming. In a playful gesture, a friend pushed me in the pool.”
Unprepared for the prank, Rachelle fell into the water headfirst. The fall broke her neck and caused an instant spinal cord injury.
After a year of rehab, Rachelle and her partner tied the note in 2011 in front of loved ones, including the friend that pushed her.
In fact, Rachelle still insisted she be a big part of the wedding and was a bridesmaid on the day.
Swimming safety advice
Experts have revealed some of their top advice for both adults and kids heading to the water this summer:
How to stay safe at the beach
Gareth Morrison, Head of Water Safety at the RNLI said: “If you find yourself being swept out to sea in a rip, try to relax and float until you are free from the rip and you can then swim to safety.
“If you see someone else in danger, alert a lifeguard or call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.”
How to stay safe at the swimming pool
Tiny Hearts Education, former paramedic and CEO Nikki Jurcutz said: “Always put your little one in bright or contrasting colours that would be easy to find in an emergency.
“It only takes 20 seconds to drown, little tips like this could save a life”.
An Auqabliss spokesperson added: “Swimming toys such as noodles, dive rings, floaties and beach balls can be dangerous if left in the pool.
“Children may try to grab these from the pool’s edge and fall in.”
How to stay safe at a waterpark
Ali Beckman, Puddle Ducks Technical Director, said: “Never send a child down the slide on their own, not only are they going to be entering the slide pool area independently, they then have to exit the pool and wait for an adult.
“And wave pools should be avoided until your child is really confident with water going over their faces and you know they are able to regain their feet independently.
“Waterparks are often very busy places and it’s easy to lose sight of a child in a split second.”
“I could go into detail about everything that happened that night,” said Rachelle, who hasn’t named the bridesmaid. “But now, the story is about love, family, and overcoming odds.”
“We got married a year later, had a baby girl four years after that and [are now] living our best life,” she gushed. “In a lot of ways I’m really really lucky.”
“My message to you is to stay grateful, humble and kind,” she continued. “And be careful around water.”
The clip has gone viral on her TikTok account @rachelles_wheels with over 214k views and 9,900 likes.
People were quick to praise the couple for their strength and bond after going through such a difficult time.
One person wrote: “I don’t know you but I remember this story. My eyes are filled with tears to see your happy ending! Cheers to many more amazing years!!!!”
Another commented: “Paralysed or not your person is your person & you’re worth loving & spending a life with no matter what.”
“You have a good man! This is exactly how it should be… love knows no bounds,” penned a third.
Meanwhile a fourth said: “I got tears in my eyes watching this. That’s true love.”
“You both are so blessed,” claimed a fifth.
Someone else added: “What a beautiful story!”
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