AFTER a life-changing accident which left her paralysed from the chest down, Kate Sell and her family are desperately trying to raise money to buy equipment which could give her back some independence.

Beautician Kate Sell, 44, suffered a horrific fall in June last year when she tumbled down the stairs while sleepwalking in her Chipping Sodbury home, leaving her with a severed spine and confined to a wheelchair.

Speaking to the Gazette, Kate explained said that while she and her husband Kevin had applied for a number of grants to help them make their new home in Yate wheelchair friendly, they still need £2,300 for some specialist equipment. 

This includes a hoist to help her get in and out of the car so she can drive again, and a specialist oven so she can cook.

Bubbly and fun-loving, Kate has always been a popular member of her community and today the Gazette is appealing for donations to help her raise the £2,300 needed. 

Kate said: “Although I would need someone with me to help operate the equipment, it would mean that I would be able to get in and out freely and be able to drive.

“I hate being a passenger, and this would really give me the chance to earn back some independence.”

The funds would also go towards alterations to her garden, with a non-slip area and waist-high troughs so she can tend to her plants.

She said: “Having the chance to get out in the garden gives me something for me, a reason to actually leave the house. 

“I have always loved to cook and this would not only give me a hobby, something I can do independently, but would allow me the chance to be able to grow my own herbs.

“It would be good for my mind as I could just go out there if I wanted to be alone, keeping me from otherwise sitting inside reading a magazine or book.”

She added: “If I was able to raise enough for the oven, it would mean I would be able to cook for myself and my husband again – given how well he has taken care of me since the accident, it would be great to return the favour.”

As well as severing her spine, Kate fractured a vertebra and broke her wrist in the freak accident at her home. 

She is now paralysed from the chest down and takes 44 tablets a day to cope with constant pain in her upper body. 

She also suffers severe anxiety about being left on her own, is petrified of the dark and worries constantly about people’s reactions to her wheelchair. 

To find out more about Kate, to get in touch or to donate to the campaign, visit http://www.gofundme.com/2j2z2xxa