She only went to take in the washing – now doctors say she'll never walk again
A mother has become permanently paralysed after a fall while taking in washing, despite initially believing it to be a minor injury.
Tara Stovold, a 34-year-old mother of four, experienced a life-altering accident while taking in laundry during rainy weather in July 2025. After slipping on wet decking, she initially thought she had only suffered a minor injury but soon developed severe symptoms. By the next morning, she awoke with numbness in her left leg and saddle area, prompting her to seek medical attention.
Despite her urgent concerns, doctors at the hospital misdiagnosed her condition, only identifying a broken coccyx without conducting further imaging like an MRI. Over the following weeks, her condition deteriorated, and she started experiencing debilitating pain and numbness that progressed to affect the right side of her body. This rapid decline in her health forced her to confront the possibility of permanent paralysis.
As Stovold grapples with the ramifications of her condition, she describes a profound sense of grief for her former life. Her harrowing experience raises serious questions about medical protocols in diagnosing such injuries and the necessity of comprehensive examinations to prevent tragic outcomes. The emotional and physical toll of her paralysis on her family also highlights the unforeseen consequences of seemingly simple household tasks.