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Mum shares her heartache seeing her young daughter left paralysed after a freak surfing accident.

Enjoying her first ever surfing lesson from dad Russell, 34, on a family holiday to the Algarve. Nakita Wright, 8, was practising jumping up from lying flat on a board when she could no longer move.

She had almost mastered the technique when she tried again – pushing down with her hands, pulling her knees in and standing up.

But as she did so she toppled to the ground and cried out in pain.

Nakita, staggered a few steps before dropping to her knees and crawling across the sand on her knees.

With tears in her eyes, she told her mum Natasha: “Mummy, my legs are sleeping.”

The Sun reports, after two months in different hospitals in Portugal and Bristol, doctors finally came to the conclusion – with the help of Google – that Nakita has surfer’s myelopathy.

It is caused by hyperextension of the back, which pinches blood vessels running along the spinal cord and cuts off the blood, killing nerves.

Eleven months on from the freak accident last October she still has no feeling in her legs, relies on a wheelchair and has been told she will probably never walk again.

Mum, Natasha, 38, said Nakita’s life – and the family’s – was shattered in an instant.

“Nakita was on the beach with her surfboard and her dad was teaching her to lie down and jump up.

“She did it and she fell awkwardly. She had broken her leg earlier in the year so she hobbled around a little bit, crying.

“Then all of a sudden the crying stopped and she said, ‘Mum, I can’t move my legs.’

“Within three or four minutes of that she said, ‘Mum, I really can’t move my legs.’

“None of us knew about the severity of what had happened – we thought it was a trapped nerve or something.

“We thought she could give it a bit of rest and walk it off.

“Then she said, ‘Mummy, my legs are sleeping’.

“I panicked but I’m quite good with drama, so I brushed it off, wrapped a towel around her and said, ‘It’s all right.’”

“She is still the same person and she is able to do the same things, but she can’t move her legs.

“Every day I could break down, but I don’t. It just makes me think, don’t take life for granted because this could happen to anyone at any time.”

She added: “Nakita has been amazing, but she has just been Nakita. I couldn’t be more proud of how she has dealt with it.

“She says, ‘I will walk again’ and we are hopeful. Never is a long time.”

nakita-2 nakita

images via gogetfunding

 

Earlier this year we shared the story of five year old, Eden, had been playing in the living room of her California home when she performed a simple “backbend” and then complained with pain and was unable to move. Read her story here.

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  • something kids do everyday. How scary!

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  • What a terrible accident – hope something can be done for her in years to come. So much is being found out about these things now.

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  • Little girl! What a terrible incident. I hope she will be able to walk again one day. Quite scary!!

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  • Here’s hoping that early intervention will help her walk again. What a brave girl!

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  • Hopefully she will get full use of her legs very soon. She is a bright and very confident young lady who will succeed.

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  • With the right physio and other therapies hopefully one day Nakita may walk again, even if it has to be with aids

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  • Oh that must have been a shock. I can imagine this changed their life drastically !
    But what a brave girl Nakita is ! When she says “I will walk again” I believe she will Keep hoping and fighting girlie !!

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  • Wishing the young girl all the best,a terrible accident you wouldn’t think could happen.

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  • That poor little girl. I hope she does get feeling back in her legs

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  • I hope that she does eventually get feeling back. There would be nothing worse than your child being paralysed, terrible!

    Reply

  • wow i have never heard of this happening before. It is amazing how tough and yet how delicate the body can be.


    • So true.
      I do wish her all the very best and hope she makes a full recovery.

    Reply

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