With thoughts of her upcoming wedding foremost in her mind, Rebecca Waller initially shrugged off the crushing pain that suddenly hit her upper back during a work call on a Friday afternoon in January this year.
She tried to continue the call – ‘I didn’t want to be rude and hang up, but the pain got worse and worse,’ says Rebecca, 27, who was working from her home in London that day.
‘After the 30-minute call, I really didn’t feel well and needed to lie down. I had pins and needles going through my arms.
‘My hands started curling and I couldn’t hold a glass of water. I knew something was seriously wrong.
‘I called my fiancé, James, but could barely speak. I thought I was going to die.’
James, who was at his home ten minutes away, immediately called for an ambulance and ran over – arriving just as paramedics pulled up. They found Rebecca on her bed, clutching her chest, writhing in pain and saying she didn’t want to die.
The paramedics encouraged Rebecca to breathe slower.
‘They said I was having a panic attack, so I believed them,’ she recalls.
Rebecca Waller was planning for the future with her husband-to-be James when she suffered a spinal stroke
The stroke. which happens when signals between the brain and the spinal cord are disrupted, left Rebecca paralysed from the neck down
‘But it didn’t make sense to me. I’m not an anxious person and I wasn’t stressed at work. If anything, I’d never felt more happy and relaxed – James and I were due to get married and we’d booked the wedding venue the day before.’
Rebecca began hyperventilating again and ran to the bathroom, where she vomited – the last steps she ever took, as suddenly she became unable to move, paralysed from the shoulders down.
For almost two hours, paramedics tried to get her to move herself, unaware of the severity of her condition.
Rebecca says: ‘I wanted to move but my body just wouldn’t, it was like it lost connection with my brain.’
More paramedics were called to help lift her, and Rebecca was carried into a wheelchair and taken to Charing Cross Hospital.
It was only after scans that doctors discovered the terrifying truth.
Rebecca had suffered a spinal stroke – this is where blood flow to the spinal cord is suddenly blocked, depriving nerve tissue of oxygen, explains Dr Steve Allder, a consultant neurologist at Re:Cognition Health clinic in Harley Street, London (and previously for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust).
‘Spinal strokes are less common than strokes in the brain – but can be equally serious, even more so in some cases, often carrying a higher risk of long-term mobility challenges.’
Rebecca and James had gotten engaged while on holiday in Greece after meeting each other nine years earlier
‘I could only move my neck and had a tiny twitch in my right arm. Everything else below my shoulders was frozen,’ says Rebecca
In Rebecca’s case, doctors deduced that a tiny fragment of cartilage from her spine had chipped off and blocked the blood flow.
‘The shock of this was unbelievable,’ says Rebecca.
‘One moment I was planning invitations for our wedding next summer [2027], the next I was lying in intensive care, paralysed.
‘I could only move my neck and had a tiny twitch in my right arm. Everything else below my shoulders was frozen.’
She adds: ‘The first days were a blur. I think I was in denial at first and part of me hoped that I would just wake up the next day and everything would be fine.’
Three months on and Rebecca has sensation below her shoulders but cannot feel temperature or pain – and cannot move her arms, let alone walk.
‘It still doesn’t seem real,’ she says.
With a spinal stroke, signals between the brain and the spinal cord are disrupted, which leads to a rapid onset of neurological symptoms such as weakness, numbness, or paralysis below the affected spinal level. The nerve cells become damaged or die, so the muscles are no longer getting messages from the brain.
In Rebecca’s case the blockage was high in her spine but doctors had no idea what had happened to cause this – she hadn’t fallen or had any trauma to that area.
Other risk factors for a spinal stroke are similar to those for brain stroke, such as furred-up arteries and blood-clotting disorders. Certain infections, such as shingles, and inflammatory conditions can also damage or inflame blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the spinal cord, says Dr Allder. ‘When the vessels are inflamed or damaged, the passage of oxygen-rich blood is reduced or stopped, leading to nerve cell injury or death,’ he says.
Rebecca says she is more determined than ever to marry James and hopes she may be able to walk down the aisle
Dr Allder says symptoms typically appear suddenly. They may include severe, sudden back or neck pain, numbness or pins and needles in the arms or legs, loss of bladder or bowel control and sensory changes, such as difficulty feeling touch or temperature.
He adds: ‘Spinal strokes are most often seen in adults over 50, particularly those with underlying cardiovascular risk factors or following surgery. It is very unusual for a young, healthy adult to experience one.
‘Spinal strokes are just as urgent as brain strokes and getting the right treatment quickly is critical to restore blood flow, limit nerve damage and improve the chances of recovery and prevent permanent paralysis.
‘Recognition of spinal strokes is generally low, even among healthcare providers. And some people delay seeking help, mistaking symptoms such as sudden back pain, weakness, or numbness for a minor issue like muscle strain or “just” backache.’
Treatment focuses on restoring blood flow to the spinal cord. Dr Allder adds: ‘This can include stabilising blood pressure and oxygen levels, blood-thinning medications if a clot is suspected – and in some cases, surgery to relieve pressure on the spine or treat problems with the blood vessels – such as a blockage – followed by intensive rehabilitation.’
Just how an individual is affected depends on the nature of the stroke. For instance, the signals controlling movement travel along different routes in the spinal cord, and some may be less damaged than others – which is why recovery can happen unevenly.
This explains why Rebecca has some sensation below her shoulders but cannot feel temperature or pain.
Dr Allder explains: ‘Recovery is usually gradual and can continue for months to years. Most substantial recovery occurs within the first three to six months, but ongoing improvement is possible.’
Rebecca was in intensive care for six weeks and is now in a rehabilitation centre.
She says: ‘It takes a long time to get me into a wheelchair and outside, but I’m moving slowly forward.’
As part of her physiotherapy sessions, Rebecca is using electric stimulation applied to her hands, arms, back and legs to help reconnect the signals between her brain and her limbs.
‘My muscles are still there, but they’ve weakened a lot after weeks in hospital,’ she says.
‘My nerves are confused and don’t know where to send messages. The electric stimulation helps guide them, slowly teaching my body how to move again.’
Her life is now a million miles from where it was three months ago.
Originally from Stockholm, Rebecca moved to London in 2019 and had been working in a fast-paced role helping companies find and recruit senior-level staff for the past three years.
‘When I wasn’t working, I enjoyed exercising, going for long walks, socialising and just being outside.’
Rebecca and James, also 27, met nine years ago but got engaged in Greece in September [SUBS 2025].
‘We climbed to the top of Mount Eros and James tricked me into taking a photo, while he got down on one knee,’ recalls Rebecca. ‘He had to ask twice as I was so shocked!’
The couple were about to move in together before her stroke, ‘but now we need to find somewhere more accessible for me, for when I’m finally discharged’, says Rebecca.
She adds: ‘I so want to be married to James, even more now that this has happened because it’s shown me how precious life is.
‘We might have a small family wedding first, as soon as I’m well enough. But we’d love a big wedding one day, so I can walk down the aisle in front of all our family and friends.’
She adds: ‘Doctors haven’t said I won’t walk again and I’m relieved they haven’t. They said it’s hard for them to give me a prognosis.’
James has been by Rebecca’s side every day. ‘My parents flew in from Norway to see me and my sister visited from Stockholm, too. They were scared to see how affected I was and were relieved I was still of sound mind.’
While the NHS has stabilised her and given her a foundation for recovery, Rebecca will need months of specialised neurological rehab – including intensive physiotherapy to rebuild strength and coordination, occupational therapy to relearn daily activities, and exercises to improve her balance and motor control – along with adaptive equipment and a full-time carer at home.
Stem cell treatments, aimed at repairing or supporting damaged nerve tissue, and other therapies may also be explored to maximise her recovery.
To give Rebecca the best chance to walk again, her sister Caroline set up a GoFundMe page, while Rebecca has also started sharing her story on Instagram.
‘I was scared to share photos of me looking so vulnerable, like my photos in intensive care,’ says Rebecca.
‘But 17 million people viewed my story in a week and the donations started flooding in.
‘So far over £180,000 has been donated and I’m grateful for every single donation.’
Rebecca has seen encouraging milestones.
She can lift her forearms slightly – though not enough to use a spoon, for instance, so she has to be helped to eat and drink.
‘On Easter Friday, which was exactly three months after my stroke, a few of my fingers on both hands started moving,’ she says.
‘Every tiny improvement feels like a victory and the wedding is my motivator.
‘I’ve been told I should be able to leave the rehab centre in about four weeks’ time. For now, I’m taking each day at a time. There are days when I get upset and cry, but my amazing support system helps keep me sane.’
Rebecca says thinking about the future is the hardest part: ‘It feels scary and uncertain. I’d always imagined having children with James but that now seems very far away. Who knows if that’s still something I’m able to do in years to come?
‘I hope that I can – but I can only wait and see how my recovery goes.’
To donate to Rebecca’s fund, visit: gofundme.com/rebeccas-recovery-enxsx
