Bride left paralysed after slipping on dress while dancing to Saturday Night on her ‘unlucky’ big day
Natasha Timson's 'perfect' day was robbed of its fairytale ending when she smashed her head half-an-hour before the night ended
A BLUSHING bride was left paralysed down half her body after slipping on her wedding dress while dancing to Saturday Night on her big day - which took place on FRIDAY 13.
Natasha Timson's "perfect" day was robbed of its fairytale ending when she smashed her head half-an-hour before the night ended - causing a dangerous brain lesion which led to paralysis.
The 39-year-old said: "I was sitting down and my friends convinced me to get up and dance.
"Saturday Night was playing and as I jumped my dress, which had satin in it, went under my shoe.
"I can't even blame it on alcohol as I don't drink, but it was a really polished floor and I went flying.
"I cracked my head so loudly they heard it on the other side of the room."
Ironically Natasha and husband Steven's wedding was hosted on Friday 13 in May.
She said: "Everybody laughed and joked and we actually got it cheaper because it was Friday 13.
"13 is mine, my mum and my dad's lucky number - and we thought, you know what, you make your own luck in life."
Natasha was rushed to A&E by Steven, 40, the following morning when she was unable to read their wedding cards or remember who guests were.
Despite the nasty knock, Natasha was diagnosed with concussion and had no idea of the full extent of her brain injury for EIGHT weeks.
She was eventually diagnosed with a brain lesion and lumbar puncture two weeks after the injury, when she returned to A&E in a worse condition.
The newlywed had struggled to remember names, use the correct words in sentences and control her emotions as a result of temporary brain damage.
Natasha said: "We went to Clacton for a couple of days after the wedding and I had to spend most the time in the hotel room as I wasn't feeling right.
"I went back to work when we got home and I couldn't remember some of my staff's names, I couldn't read properly. I wasn't right."
The recruiter, from Chelmsford, Essex, went back to Broomsfield Hospital that night and was given a CT scan and spent two days on a stroke ward before doctors told her she had suffered a brain bleed.
Her work, Swanstaff Recruitment, were "incredible" in the wake of her injuries - and stayed true to their ethos of "staying strong in the face of adversity".
After an MRI scan confirmed Natasha had suffered a brain lesion, she was told she needed to wait for further test results to see if anything else was wrong.
During the waiting period her stepdad suffered a heart attack and she was allowed home to spend time with him.
She said: "It was the most horrendous week. My mother-in-law, bless her, had to babysit me.
"I was sleeping 20 hours a day and I just got worse."
Natasha's condition worsened again until she lost feeling down her left side.
She rushed back to hospital and found out she had suffered a hemiplegic migraine as a result of the brain injury - paralysing half her body.
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Diabetic Natasha was shortly after dealt the final blow she was suffering from an episode of Multiple Sclerosis - adding to her devastating list of injuries.
The brave newlywed has been in hospital ever since and is now waiting to be moved to a specialist brain injury unit at Queen Mary's Hospital in London.
Despite regaining feeling in her left arm Natasha is wheelchair-bound and unable to move her left lower leg.
She has been in hospital for three months and two weeks, spent weeks eating through a cannula, remains heavily medicated and suffers from brain injuries.
Natasha explained: "I'm still quite slow, I can sit and have a conversation but if you asked me to stand up and speak at the same time I either cant talk, I stammer or I use the wrong word.
"It's really frightening, I can't feel part of my left leg - even though I've got my arm working and the top of my left leg.
"If I'm tired I'll say the wrong thing and people don't like to correct you, but I know I'm not right.
"I've had to learn to read and write again - I'm just not the same person I was."
She added: "We'd just bought a house, I'd just got married, I was about to be promoted at work - everything was perfect.
"And to go from something idyllic to something so tragic is just horrendous."
Despite having to put their dream honeymoon to a safari on hold, Natasha and Steven celebrated with a candlelit dinner in hospital.
Determined Natasha puts on a brave face in spite of the accident, saying: "I'm not going to get better so the hope is perhaps I won't get worse.
"I've been quite lighthearted about it all, but it's not easy. We've had some bad days - we all have.
"I'm separated from my husband and we don't do well without each other.
"We're both a bit older and neither of us thought we would get married - in fact I had a bet I wouldn't!"
"But he completely swept me off my feet, he's my soulmate and bless him he stood by me, as have his family. They've all been amazing."
Natasha is raising money for , as she was unable to get a diagnosis from the General hospital for eight weeks.
She said: "It wasn't because they didn't want to - they just didn't know and after booking a specialist Neuro appointment at Queen Mary's I had a diagnosis in two hours, knew what was wrong and had it explained to me in terms I understood."
Natasha faces up to 12 weeks in a neurological rehabilitation unit but is hoping to get home for Christmas.
She said: "It will be our first Christmas together, which is something every couple looks forward to.
"I really hope for that but we'll just have to wait and see - the longer I'm here waiting, the less chance there is."
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