Rachel lived a 'healthy and relatively normal life' until Summer 2009. She and her husband, Paul had just celebrated their wedding and were enjoying their honeymoon when Rachel initially took ill. By September, Rachel was diagnosed with encephalitis, chiari malformation and syringomyelia. This meant that she had to undergo emergency brain surgery to release the pressure build up. She has since undergone another 10+ brain and spinal surgeries which has left her as tetraplegic. She isn't medically paralysed but she has no real functional use of her four limbs. Rachel and Paul have not had the easiest of marriages as a result of this and haven't actually lived together since 29th December 2015. Rachel has not slept in her own bed since then. She has been forced (through ill health) to ‘live’ in a rehab unit by The Rocket for the best part of 2 and a half years now (including time at The Walton Centre and St Helens Hospital).

We’re (using the term loosely) seeing an end in sight.

Rachel and Paul’s house is now sold and they are in the finishing touches of buying a bungalow.

Here’s where you all fit in......

I’ve tried the BBC for a DIY SOS and had zero responses to the number of emails I have sent them, so we’ll do it ourselves!

I’m looking for anyone with a building, wetroom, tiling, plumbing, electrical, landscaping background to please give us a hand.

I will absolutely push my body to the limit to raise funds in an attempt to pay people or buy resources.

I/we don’t expect something for nothing but she can’t use her arms or legs unaided, now has to use a powered chair to get around and doesn’t qualify for the additional support she will need moving forward.

That puts a lot of pressure on Paul and my mum, who have literally put their lives on hold while Rachel is away from home.

I will be sitting down and working out what can be done from a fundraising point of view and updating accordingly but please please, share this with friends, if you’re a tradesman, please speak to your suppliers to see if they could donate anything at all.

We don’t ask a lot and haven’t over the nearly 9 years since Rachel first took ill and I’m not one for guilt tripping or throwing a ‘whoa is me’ story of it didn’t mean something.

Most of you know Rachel, a lot since we were kids, please help!