ST MARY’S Hospice touches lives all over Furness and South Cumbria, and not always just in the ways you’d think.

It was just over a year ago that Chloe Austin left home to go to Fudstock — the Barrow music festival held to commemorate Richard Thorne, known affectionately as ‘Fud’, who had died at St Mary’s after a battle with cancer.

Little did Chloe know know that her own life would change forever that day. She was thrown from a fairground ride and left with what she describes as “outrageous” injuries including a broken back, ribs and collar bone, an open leg fracture, facial injuries and, most devastating of all, a shattered pelvis which damaged her bowl, spleen, bladder and liver. 

Doctors warned her mum Sharon that Chloe had just a 10 per cent chance of surviving as she was airlifted from Furness General in a coma.

Waking from that in Royal Preston Hospital 22 days later, her prognosis had improved. But she was warned it was unlikely she would walk again.

Fast forward 12 months and Chloe has made an unbelievable recovery. So incredible that, not only is she walking unaided, she has signed up to support St Mary’s again, this time by taking part in the charity’s Walk to Remember event — a 10 mile walk from Ulverston to Barrow,

Chloe said: “My grandad John died in St Mary’s in 2018 so it always has a really special place in my heart. 

“People don’t realise but they have to raise so much money every year just to keep providing care for people.

"They only get around 20 per cent of their funding from the Government, which means that nearly £8 of every £10 they spend comes from donations and fundraising.”

And Chloe, who recently turned 21, is also backing the St Mary’s Sponsor a Nurse campaign. 

As a trainee nurse herself she understands better than most the work done by nursing staff.

“I think the staff at St Mary’s are wonderful. Nursing is an amazing career and is what I always wanted to do," she said.

"I had to put things back about six months after my accident, but I’m back working full time now and studying for my nursing degree.

“If people can get behind the St Mary’s campaign and sponsor a nurse it would be amazing.

"They really do such an amazing job for local people.”