Oswestry grandmother who is scared of heights takes on 90ft abseil 40 years after life‑changing accident

Oswestry grandmother who is scared of heights is set to take on a 90ft abseil to mark the 40th anniversary of life-changing spinal cord injury.

Miranda Jenks, 61, from Oswestry is taking on a 90ft abseil and one-mile canoe for Spinal Injuries Association to mark the 40th anniversary of a spinal cord injury that turned her life upside down.

In 1986, Miranda had just finished college and was waiting for her exam results when she was involved in a motorbike accident and sustained a spinal cord injury.

After only five-and-a-half weeks, she was discharged from hospital with no referral to a specialist spinal unit and no support or signposting for her life-changing injury.

Miranda said: “The hospital didn’t tell me what would happen with a spinal cord injury. I don’t think they knew themselves. It does affect your bladder and bowels, but nobody told me that.

“Nobody said about looking after your skin so how I didn’t get pressure ulcers I don’t know. I had to find my own way through for years.”

As a result of her injury, Miranda lost most of her lower body mobility, and is only able to stand and walk for short distances using mobility aids, and uses a wheelchair when she goes out.

Miranda said: “I didn’t realise that people could walk with a spinal cord injury, and because I could walk, albeit with aids, I actually hated myself for a long time because I thought that if I can walk, I should be back to normal. I thought I was the problem, that I wasn’t doing enough to be okay.”

Despite the lack of support, Miranda went on to build a career, get married, and have four children.

29 years after sustaining her injury, Miranda noticed that her ability to walk was worsening, which prompted her to look up information on ageing with a spinal cord injury. Her search brought up national spinal cord injury charity Spinal Injuries Association.

Miranda said: “I found SIA and I met up with a Support Network Coordinator, and it was like my world was opened up. I didn’t even know these organisations existed.”

From there, Miranda was supported with a referral to Oswestry Spinal Unit, where she received rehabilitation 30 years after sustaining her spinal cord injury.

This year, the 40th anniversary of sustaining her injury has motivated Miranda to take on a 90ft abseil and 1 mile canoe challenge on Saturday 19th September at Dukes Barn in the Peak District.

“I just wanted to do something, and it was SIA that were the first people to support me,” she said.

“I am scared of heights and I’ve not abseiled from that height, but when this came up, I thought yeah, do this for your 40-year anniversary.

“I’m quite looking forward to it. I am nervous, but I’m looking forward to showing that whatever you want to do with a spinal cord injury, you can still do it.

“I’ve always been quite an outdoor person, but it’s a different kettle of fish ageing with a spinal cord injury, so I want to show that I can still do this.”

To support Miranda’s fundraising, please visit her JustGiving page.