Paralysed woman starts walking after taking up boxing

A woman who woke up one morning to find she was paralysed from the waist down is beginning to walk again after taking up boxing.

Tabitha Fung had to have everything done for her at first but says she's now on the mend and that exercise makes her feel more positive about the future.

The law graduate, from Cradley Heath, was confined to a wheelchair after suddenly losing the feeling in her legs in May 2014.

Unable to move from the waist down, she was rushed to hospital where doctors were left baffled by the unexplained paralysis.

Tabitha was eventually told she had multiple degenerative changes of the spine, but medics could not pin-point a definite diagnosis.

After struggling with her paralysis, Tabitha took matters into her own hands, as appointments with her consultant and physiotherapist were unable to provide any firm answers.

She joined the Portway Lifestyle Centre in Oldbury, a centre of excellence for people with disabilities, and began working with personal trainer Scott Parish.

Since starting her exercise programme Tabitha is now finally back on her feet, and uses a frame to walk round the house at home.

She has dropped two dress sizes since January - and even felt confident enough to go on holiday to Turkey on her own this summer.

"In my head, 2015 is the year I fully regain control of my life," she says, "whether I'm in a wheelchair or not."