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A moment that changed me: my brother gave me an unexpected gift – and a whole new life at sea

The water was my childhood playground but, as I grew up, my health left me landbound. Then my brother found a way to launch me back into the waves ... My brother and I grew up surfing at Porthcawl in south Wales. My earliest memories are of playing in the waves and I learned to bodyboard not long after I learned to walk. When I lost the use of my legs, I felt as if I had lost the sea – and a part of who I was. I was in my teens when I started to develop chronic illnesses, including endometriosis. At first, I was still able to surf – I just needed to rest afterwards. Then, in my early 20s, I developed further chronic conditions, including a connective tissue disorder that affected my joints and muscle strength. I could stand just for a few seconds and was able to walk only a few metres. At 23, an acute infection led to complications, including the loss of the use of my legs. Later, my sto

Image from linked report: A moment that changed me: my brother gave me an unexpected gift – and a whole new life at sea
Image from the linked report: A moment that changed me: my brother gave me an unexpected gift – and a whole new life at sea.Credit: The Guardian Thumbnail shown with attribution and outbound source link; VINI does not claim ownership or republish the original article body. Image source Image shown with attribution and an outbound source link; VINI does not claim ownership or republish the original article body.
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The water was my childhood playground but, as I grew up, my health left me landbound. Then my brother found a way to launch me back into the waves ... My brother and I grew up surfing at Porthcawl in south Wales. My earliest memories are of playing in the waves and I learned to bodyboard not long after I learned to walk. When I lost the use of my legs, I felt as if I had lost the sea – and a part of who I was. I was in my teens when I started to develop chronic illnesses, including endometriosis. At first, I was still able to surf – I just needed to rest afterwards. Then, in my early 20s, I developed further chronic conditions, including a connective tissue disorder that affected my joints and muscle strength. I could stand just for a few seconds and was able to walk only a few metres. At 23, an acute infection led to complications, including the loss of the use of my legs. Later, my sto

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According to The Guardian’s source item, A moment that changed me: my brother gave me an unexpected gift – and a whole new life at sea, The water was my childhood playground but, as I grew up, my health left me landbound. Then my brother found a way to launch me back into the waves … My brother and I grew up surfing at Porthcawl in south Wales. My earliest memories are of playing in the waves and I learned to bodyboard not long after I learned to walk. When I lost the use of my legs, I felt as if I had lost the sea – and a part of who I was. I was in my teens when I started to develop chronic illnesses, including endometriosis. At first, I was still able to surf – I just needed to rest afterwards. Then, in my early 20s, I developed further chronic conditions, including a connective tissue disorder that affected my joints and muscle strength. I could stand just for a few seconds and was able to walk only a few metres. At 23, an acute infection led to complications, including the loss of the use of my legs. Later, my sto

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The development sits in VINI’s Global file for readers following international affairs, institutions, conflict, diplomacy, economics, and cross-border consequences. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-09-23T05:45:15+00:00.

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