A disabled 29-year-old special needs teacher who was seriously injured in a car collision has said the response so far to an appeal to get her a new wheelchair has ‘restored her faith in human kindness’ but more still needs to be raised.
Nicole Amott, who has muscular dystrophy, was left in intensive care after the car she was driving husband Lee and two-year-old son Joseph to an intended day out at Woburn Abbey was involved in a collision on Friday, May 31.
While Joseph was unharmed and Lee injured an ankle in the incident, Nicole broke both her legs, suffered a hairline fracture on the knee and had a blood clot.
Thankfully she returned home from hospital this week after treatment for the clot.
But her specially adapted car and crucially the wheel chair that gave her independence has been destroyed.
Nicole has had the wheelchair, which she’s totally reliant on, since she was six.
Mum Sally Mason says it’s allowed her to live as normal as life as possible with the condition that affects movement, including working in special needs at The Priory School in Spalding.
As it’s classed as a personal belonging, she’s not able to claim for the damage from insurance.
Now Sally has started the appeal to get her daughter a new chair.
She said: “At the moment she’s just glad to be back home and resting.
“The wheelchair gave her some independence.
“She’s got a very strong work ethic and she loves her job.
“She’s never let anything stand in her way and I’m sure she won’t do with this either.
“All we want is for her to be able to get back to the way things were before the car accident.”
Nicole lives on Bourne Road in Spalding in a specially adapted home that has been earmarked as one of those that could be demolished to make way for the Spalding Western Relief Road.
Sally says the uncertainty over that had already led to her worrying about the future.
But thankfully they’ve received a boost after Sally set up a Just Giving page that’s already raised over £7,600 as The Voice went to press.
Nicole said from home: “I am extremely grateful and completely overwhelmed my everybody’s kindness and generosity!
“From everybody who stopped on the day and helped to everyone who is now helping with donations to the wheelchair fund – it has restored my faith in human kindness!”
It’s partly due to comedian Jason Manford Facebooking about it as part of his #CharityNinjas.
He said: “How amazing are teachers? Shall we help this one out my fellow #CharityNinjas?
“C’mon #CharityNinjas, let’s help them along, I reckon we can get into double figures before we are discovered!”
Sally said: “The response has been absolutely fantastic – brilliant.
“In a world where you look in the news that it’s all hatred and violence it’s really reassuring to know there’s so many kind people out there.
“We’ve had donations from £2 up to £2,000 and the £2 ones mean as much as others as people are giving what they can afford.
“Many people just donating £1 would make a huge difference.”
Fundraising events are to come with Sally organising a table top sale at St John’s Primary School in Spalding where she works and where Nicole was formerly a pupil.
That’s due to take place on Saturday, July 13.
You can also continue to donate on the Just Giving page here.
