'Married at First Sight' Star Left Disabled After Spinal Injury

The reality star has a prolapsed disc in her spine, which has left her in pain and unable to walk.

By Ashley Turner

Married At First Sight UK star April Banbury revealed she suffered a significant spinal injury that "took away her ability to live a normal life." Banbury, 33, told Daily Mail how lifting a heavy object recently caused a disc in her back to prolapse and left her in the worst pain of her life, leaving her unable to walk and in excruciating pain.

The protrusion and splitting of her spinal disc have resulted in her suffering pain all over her lower back and numbness throughout her entire body. She told Daily Mail, "I literally just lifted something heavy in the wrong way and ended up like this. It was so unexpected, and I couldn't believe it could cause such a severe injury. My ability to live a normal life has been taken away from me, and I am now classified as having a disability." 

"I've gone from being a super sociable, busy, and adventurous woman, always loving my life to the fullest, to quite literally being a hermit. For weeks now, I have been housebound because I haven't been able to walk. I will slowly be regaining that ability to walk more than a few steps pain-free and am able to stand for short periods of time." 

"Sitting is the most painful, and lying down gives me the most relief, but I need to keep my muscles moving as much as I can. Life is not as I once knew it. I really will never take anything for granted ever." The numbness in the lower half of her body is so severe that Banbury did not realize that she had a 1cm shard of glass stuck in the bottom of the bottom of her right foot for six weeks until a blood blister appeared.

As she explained, there are days when her body feels so heavy that she has difficulty lifting her legs or right arm, and sometimes she has difficulty lifting a kettle with water in it as her limbs feel as if they are "dead weight." Banbury said, "My right shoulder has dropped, and my right leg feels longer than my left because I'm all messed up inside. So I look wonky with bad pain in my right heel in the mornings because it's holding most of my weight when I'm standing."

As Banbury told the outlet, since the start of her journey, she has received "the most amazing" support from her family members and friends, who have "done everything for her" including preparing meals, cleaning, and helping her dress. She said, "I'm so grateful for the incredible support, but it's been extremely upsetting not being able to even do the simplest of things in life, like stand and brush my teeth without being in agony. 

"Anyone who has suffered with a prolapsed disc will understand the pain and how debilitating it is." Currently, she is wearing a back brace and undergoing IDD therapy – an alternative treatment for those who do not wish to undergo surgery – as part of the treatment plan. IDD Therapy allows patients to treat chronic back and neck pain without invasive procedures. 

It is most commonly used to treat spinal disc issues, such as bulging or herniated discs, and associated symptoms, such as sciatica. In the future, she will undergo shockwave therapy, acupuncture, osteopathy, and physical therapy as part of her rehabilitation. 

She said, "I have put all of my hope, willpower, and strength in Naval Mair Physical Medicine to recover in hopefully one year with the correct treatment. Sadly, there is no quick fix, and I have to learn to build my muscle and strength around it eventually to help support it." 

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"I hopefully can go on to lead a normal life in the future by taking extra care and listening to my body. Because I didn't in the beginning. I just tried to ignore the pain stupidly thinking It would go away, and well here I am. So awkward listen to your body."

In terms of her future, she said, "I do feel positive I will recover because I want my life back so badly. And feel deep gratitude to be surrounded by so much support and now in the best care. If anyone else is struggling with the same injury and needs to talk, my inbox is always open because I know how isolating this can feel."

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