Laura McEvoy
On a rainy Friday afternoon, Laura was driving home from university when her car lost control on a sharp bend. Within seconds, a lorry came around the corner and collided with her vehicle. She remembers trying to move her legs—nothing happened. After an emergency operation, her parents were told, “The surgery was a success, but we don’t know if your daughter will ever walk again.”
Despite the prognosis, she refused to accept it. With a fractured skull, injuries to her C6 and C7 vertebrae, and a broken L1 vertebra resulting in a spinal cord injury, she faced an uphill battle. Initially unable to move anything below her waist, she poured everything into rehabilitation. Over time, she regained movement in her legs and is now able to walk with crutches and bilateral splints.
Leaving the hospital was the hardest part. There, she had structure—daily physio and therapy. But once discharged, reality set in. Determined not to let the accident define her, she joined a gym and committed to daily rehab. But mentally, it was tough. She felt like her life had stopped that day, and now she had to rebuild it from scratch.
While in the hospital, she was gifted Ed Jackson’s book Lucky, which gave her hope. She started following Millimetres 2 Mountains and was inspired by other beneficiaries. When applications for the program opened, she took a chance and applied. She never expected to be selected, but when she was, she felt like she was finally moving forward again.
Since joining, M2M has provided a network of like-minded people who truly understand what it’s like to rebuild after trauma. She has already walked her furthest distance yet and gained access to neuro physiotherapy, which is incredibly limited in Northern Ireland. Without M2M, she wouldn’t have had this opportunity, and it’s made a huge difference in her recovery.
Now, she’s focused on what’s next—more mountains, more challenges, and more shared experiences with the M2M family. The journey is far from over, and with every step, she’s proving just how much she is capable of. ❤️
