Beth Bright speaks out one year on from Corringham crash

Keen motorcyclist Bethany Bright was out riding her bike in the Manorway, Corringham, a year ago today when she was involved in a crash with another bike which left her with catastrophic injuries.

After being sedated at the scene, the 21-year-old, of Canvey, was airlifted to a specialist hospital in London.

Now, Beth has spoken out about her ordeal and how she has faced the most difficult year of her life with an overwhelmingly positive attitude.

Beth's xray showing a metal rod in her arm

She said: “The first two and a half weeks, I was on so much medication I didn’t really know what was going on. I knew I could feel pain everywhere but the first time they showed me my stump was when it hit me.

“My leg had been shredded open and what was left looked like a joint of raw meat.

“I could never see how it was going to heal or how I could recover.”

But it wasn’t just Beth’s leg that was injured.

The bone came out of her left wrist and she was told it was just as bad as her leg. She had temporary nerve damage in her neck and couldn’t move her arm for two months.

She also suffered a collapsed lung and had broken bones in her back.

She added: “It was really difficult to process but in a sense, I am very lucky to be alive and I have the best group of friends and an amazing family around me which made it easier.

“I was in the Royal London Hospital for just over three weeks and that’s when I needed the most care and couldn’t move an inch.”

Beth was then transferred to Southend before being moved to a specialist ward at Guys and St Thomas in London where she was fitted with a prosthetic leg.

The former South Essex College student said: “That was 24-hour care and we had physio and occupational therapists there during the day so it was pretty intense rehab.

“I had a timetable and the only day I didn’t do physio was on Sundays, but it was nice being around other people who were going through the exact same thing – I didn’t feel different there.

“Coming home was hard as it hit me a lot how everything that I did without thinking before was going to be so much harder now.

“Everything from the stairs to get to my bedroom, to making myself a drink, getting dressed, getting in and out of the bath. With my injured arm and leg, it was so much harder not being able to use it properly.”

In the wake of the crash, the community rallied around Beth and managed to raise more than £5,000 to help her with her rehab.

She said: “I was so shocked how many people contributed and people I didn’t even know and who didn’t know me. It was out of kindness and was so lovely and thoughtful.

“All the support I’ve received and still receive now keeps me going. People may not realise but when I get a message checking I’m OK or being told I’m doing well it helps me so much just to get up and carry on another day.

“I still have to take it slow as some days I wake up and everything hurts and my hand won’t work or or my stump hurts and it’s hard to wear my leg.

Beth trying out her new prosthetic leg for the first time

“Some days my anxiety makes me feel I can’t leave the house so I definitely take it day by day but I went back to work at Calor Gas on Canvey a couple of weeks ago so I am getting some normality back.”

Beth had been doing motocross since the age of five and has found not being able to go out on her bike one of the hardest parts of recovery.

She added: “I do miss it a lot and it is still so hard to accept. I’ve always been into bikes and always ridden them.

“Now, of course, I can’t and it does upset me as it was my favourite thing. I haven’t found a new hobby to replace it yet as I’m still not in a position where my hand is strong enough but I may do in the future.

“I would love to get back on my bike one day but I don’t think my mum would let me.

“I am just very grateful to be here and even more grateful to have the people I do around supporting me.”