'The painful moment I learned what some people are really facing'

Having just turned 21, Ellie Brown couldn’t wait to enjoy the summer and make unforgettable memories with her friends.

But her dreams were shattered when she accidentally tripped over a step in a pub beer garden – leaving her with an injury that changed her life in an instant.

Ellie, who lives in Ancoats, was out with her partner in Newcastle when she fell over a tiny step in June 2021. Though the unmarked step was just centimetres tall, Ellie suffered a badly broken ankle.

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The now 23-year-old was rushed to hospital where it was discovered she had shattered her bone. The severe injury required surgery and months of rehabilitation.

As she struggled to adjust to life in a wheelchair, Ellie suddenly found herself in a world she was unfamiliar with. “Essentially, my first summer of being 21 was completely turned upside down due to one unmarked step in a beer garden,” she told the Manchester Evening News.

“I fell on the smallest step you have ever seen, it was literally centimetres high. I landed on my ankle and shattered it.

“Because I couldn’t bear weight, I had to use crutches, and anyone who has used them before will know they are agony.

“So, I ended up being mostly in a wheelchair out of necessity. At the time of the accident, I was in Newcastle staying with my partner’s family. This small incident suddenly made the city look like a completely different place to me.

“I specifically remember going to a restaurant and being met with a large set of stone steps just to get through the door – don't get me started on