I thought I'd pulled a muscle then I started tingling and I was paralysed at 27

I thought I'd pulled a muscle then I started tingling and I was paralysed at 27 Liam suddenly fell ill at work and was left paralysed from the chest down, days before finding out he was going to be a dad A 27-year-old who had been suffering back pain thought he'd pulled a muscle until his legs started tingling, and he was paralysed from the chest down minutes later. Liam Watson had married childhood sweetheart Poppy just months earlier, and a week after his sudden illness, found out he was going to be a dad. Poppy, a science teacher from Leamington, said: “I thought he must’ve pulled a muscle. So we occasionally stretched out his back during the little attacks of pain he was having. I look back and worry if this made things worse – or if we could’ve done more. “If we had gone to hospital straight away; would he be OK now? We’ll never know. Especially as back pain is so common.” The couple spent the day before in bed together fighting a cold. When Liam returned to work guttering new build houses the next day, though, he felt a tingling throughout his body. 15 minutes later, he was completely paralysed. Liam said: “I was on the scaffolding and my legs started to feel numb. I recognised what was happening and climbed down to seek first aid. By the time I reached the office, I was tired and ready to collapse. A site agent caught me before I fell and set me down on a bench. I couldn’t move at all and was in immense pain. “An ambulance was called and by the time they had arrived, the numbness was up to my chest. I could only control my arms. Then, my breathing became shallow. I was scared and hoped the paralysis wouldn’t last.” Poppy recalls receiving the call her husband was in hospital during her lunch break in February this year. At the time, while panicked, she thought it was just a trapped nerve. Until doctors revealed he had suffered a severe bleed – known as a spontaneous epidural hematoma – on his spine. She said: “I had no idea how serious it was. When I got to the hospital, everyone was in high spirits despite the circumstances. “But once they told me had bleeding on his spine and needed to be transferred, I couldn’t help but be in denial. I thought he would have surgery and it would be fixed. A permanent spinal injury can happen to other people – but not us.” It became a race against time to get Liam on the operating table. He had a laminectomy, which aimed to drain the blood that was crushing his spinal cord. It was hoped this would limit the risk of permanent paralysis and stop it from spreading further up his body. But it didn’t come without other life-changing risks. He said: “I was told that I might go blind, even if I get use of my body again. That was the moment everything came crashing down.” Sadly, he had no choice. He handed Poppy his wedding ring and said goodbye to her for potentially the last time. Luckily, the surgery was a success. And it wasn’t the only piece of good news the pair received that week. Poppy said: “I knew it was a very real possibility that I could be pregnant. But when I saw those two lines, I was shocked. Liam was the happiest I had seen him for a long time.” The news came just 10 days after his life-changing surgery. While over-the-moon, it’s bittersweet. Given Liam is paralysed, their chances to conceive naturally again are very low – though not entirely ruled out. Poppy said: “It’s sad, because we both have siblings. And we’d really like to give our boy one in the future.” Right now, though, Liam is dealing with his new normal. He experiences no control of his bladder or bowel, as well as pressure sores and is at high-risk for strokes. This is due to autonomic dysrefelxia – which causes a sudden spike in blood pressure triggered by an overactive nervous system – and affects people with high spinal cord injuries. And, as the cause is unknown, they’re still searching for answers. The dad-to-be isn’t letting this take away from their new arrival. He said: “I hope to have a happy family. I’m excited to watch my son grow up and for him to experience the world. “And I do worry, that as I don’t have strength in my core, that I won’t ever be able to pick him up or look after him independently. I also keep seeing videos of dads playing with their children and throwing them around. “Things like this weigh heavily on my mind. The chances of walking again are extremely slim, so I don’t hold a lot of hope.” To give him a fighting chance at being the dad he always dreamed of, the couple are raising funds on GoFundMe, with £7,188 raised out of £8,000 so far. The money will be put towards a power attachment for Liam’s wheelchair so he can access more places. Also, adapted equipment for fatherhood so that general tasks are made easier for him. Poppy added: “This pregnancy has been unbelievably tough. I think it will be better once we’re home, as right now, we’re in temporary accommodation. “We’ve applied to West Northampton Council as our family are from the area and we need to be near them now. So everything still feels very up in the air. I miss when Liam used to do cartwheels in the living room, or when we’d dance together in the kitchen. “But I’m excited for this next chapter – and I know he’ll be the best dad regardless of the cards he’s been dealt.”