Beautician with back pain paralysed just a day after A&E discharged her with IBS medication
A Telford family are looking to raise £10,000 to help their daughter-in-law regain her independence following paralysis and cancer diagnosis.
In January 2021, Jodie Cox, a beautician from Ketley, attended A&E with complaints of back pain. Within 18 hours of being discharged with IBS relief medication, Jodie was completely paralysed from the waist down.
Alone, due to Covid restrictions, the 27-year-old received the devastating news that she was not only battling an aggressive bone cancer, but that she would also never walk again.
Her partner Luke Kaleta, 28, said: “It all happened very fast. She FaceTimed me and my mum to tell us about the tumour then we didn’t hear from her for the rest of the day as she was rushed to surgery. It was incredibly difficult.”
As a result of her paralysis, Jodie requires round the clock care. Since her diagnosis, Luke has given up his job as a contractor in order to look after her.
Now, Jodie's in-laws are raising money to regain her independence as she adjusts to her new life.
The family are hoping the money raised will go towards physiotherapy costs, wheelchair adaptation's and access to spinal cord injury specialists which aren't currently funded by the NHS.
Jodie's father-in-law, Phil Kaleta, and friends John Hobbs and Neil Weston will be kicking off fundraising efforts with a staggering 182-mile journey in just 24 hours.
'Jodie's Journey' will consist of a 130-mile bike ride and two back-to-back marathons, covering the Manchester, Oswestry and Birmingham hospitals that have treated Jodie, before concluding at The Wrens Nest in Ketley on October 9, for a fundraising day.
Natalie Kaleta, Jodie’s mother-in-law, wrote on their fundraising page: “Throughout this battle Jodie has shown more concern for her loved ones than for herself. When faced with the option to give up she chose to fight for her life.
"The list of pains, obstacles, and trauma is too large to comprehend let alone explain. Please donate towards helping our beautiful, inspirational Jodie get the best out of life that she can get.”
For more information and to donate visit: gofundme.com/f/Help-Jodie-battling-cancer-paralysis.
