A moment that changed me: my brother gave me an unexpected gift – and a whole new life at sea

The water was my childhood playground but, as I grew up, my health left me landbound.

Then my brother found a way to launch me back into the waves ...

My brother and I grew up surfing at Porthcawl in south Wales.

My earliest memories are of playing in the waves and I learned to bodyboard not long after I learned to walk.

When I lost the use of my legs, I felt as if I had lost the sea – and a part of who I was.

I was in my teens when I started to develop chronic illnesses, including endometriosis.

At first, I was still able to surf – I just needed to rest afterwards.

Then, in my early 20s, I developed further chronic conditions, including a connective tissue disorder that affected my joints and muscle strength.

I could stand just for a few seconds and was able to walk only a few metres.

At 23, an acute infection led to complications, including the loss of the use of my legs.

Later, my stomach became paralysed; I’m now fed via a tube that runs down my oesophagus, through my stomach and into my intestines.

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