'I went to bed on our second date and ended up paralysed'

'I went to bed on our second date and ended up paralysed' The mum-of-three didn't want to disturb her new man so put up with the pain A mum-of-three who was left paralysed on a second date with a Tinder match says his reaction proved he was ‘the one’. As Sadie Dane lay in bed with her new man Greg, she says she couldn’t have been happier. But there was a niggling pain at the top of her back that wouldn’t go. Since it was only their second date, the 40-year-old didn’t want to make a fuss and send the 50-year-old teacher running. So she decided to keep quiet, but the pain became too excruciating to bear and within hours, she was totally paralysed. Sadie, from Kent, said: " I’d given birth three times and had countless tattoos; so I knew real pain. And this was so much worse. Since it was only our second date when it started, I didn’t want to freak him out, so I let him drift off. “But I couldn’t bear it any longer. I woke him up and said I was dying.” Sadie had been swiping through Tinder in April 2025 when she came across Greg’s profile. After back-and-forth messaging and a whirlwind first date, Sadie made the near two-hour journey to his mum’s house in Brighton, where he was living at the time. And luckily for Sadie, this ultimately saved her life, as Greg’s mum is a nurse – and knew instantly what was going on. She said: “My right arm went numb and the pain only intensified. The only slight relief I could get was by curling into the foetal position. “As he had to get back to his kids, his mum took me to the hospital – which wasn’t the way I thought I’d be getting to know her. But she couldn’t have been nicer, and wouldn’t leave my side.” Morphine was administered, and an MRI scan was performed. It was found that Sadie had two bulging discs at the top of her spine, which were pressing on her nerves. Then, she was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the open space in the spine, which puts pressure on the spinal cord and nerves. Unclear how long she’d spend in hospital, and with no clear solution, Sadie’s spirits were only lifted by Greg, who visited her multiple times a week. Sadie was offered surgery, with a high risk of paralysis. She said: “I didn’t care anymore; I just wanted relief. Greg told me he loved me and said he’d be there when I woke up. He kept his promise. “Despite only knowing each other for a few weeks, he had become my rock. I was convinced I’d found my soulmate.” Sadie’s surgery involved slicing through her throat, moving her windpipe and removing the discs, replacing them with titanium ones. After being discharged, Greg held up his promise and continued to make the four-hour round trip several times a week. Now she’s able to move her right arm and has re-learned how to walk again. However, it’s likely her condition will only worsen since there’s no cure. Despite this, she and Greg are due to move to Cyprus with their children. Sadie added: “I feel like it was fate that he came into my life when he did. “While I’m so thankful to the nurses and doctors who have helped me, I think it’s safe to say that love really is the best medicine.”