A WILTSHIRE veteran left paralysed after falling down some stairs has celebrated being able to stay in her home after veteran charity the Officers’ Association supported her recovery.

Bryony Fuller, 66, has since gone on to complete two sky dives and returned to horse riding after breaking her back, neck and spinal cord after suffering a fall.

On April 16 2008, Mrs Fuller had been running down the stairs in her cottage barefoot when she slipped and fell to the bottom of the stairs. She was left half paralysed and remained there for 30 hours before being rushed to hospital where she then spent a year recovering.

She was left with permanent mobility issues but was helped to return to her own home in West Overton thanks to the support from the OA, which provides emergency support and financial help to veterans.

The charity fitted a stair lift and handrails so that Mrs Fuller, who served in the RAF from 1981-1986, could continue living independently in her home.

She said: “The OA helped me to rebuild my life, they helped me in so many ways. The main thing to me is that I can stay in my own home. It’s not just what they’ve done for me, it’s the fact they’re still there after all this time.”

“My injury actually made me more motivated to do things and try new things including the sky dive. When some people are told they won’t walk again they give up but it is all about the mental approach.”

The veteran was one of the first female officers to graduate from RAF College Cranwell and is supporting the charity by sharing her story with others.

Nigel Hare, head of benevolence at the OA, said: “Bryony’s story highlights how the OA can step in to people’s lives and support them when they need it the most. We are here to support former officers and their dependants by offering advice and support as well as grants.

“I want to encourage people to approach us with the assurance that the OA Benevolence team understands the challenges that former officers and their families can face.”