A WOMAN left paralysed following a freak accident fulfilled a dream by climbing up Moel Famau with the help of friends and family.

Rachel Smith-Ruffle, originally from Gwernymynydd near Mold, has been a wheelchair user for 21 years after suffering a spinal injury in a diving accident.

Now living in Manchester, Rachel, 44, ventured up Moel Famau - a place very close to her heart - on Bank Holiday Monday.

She explained: "When I first came out of my almost one year hospital stay, straight after my injury in 1998, at the age of 23, before I could drive or really even balance for very long, my parents asked me where I wanted to go for my first trip out when I came home and I asked to go to Moel Famau.

"We drove up to the top car park, stayed in the car and just spent time looking at the view because for me, it brings back happy memories and is outstandingly beautiful."

The Leader:

Rachel Smith-Ruffle with husband Ian, daughter Amelie and dog Pudding

Over the last year, Rachel, whose parents live in Buckley, underwent her worst year health-wise. From January 2018 to March 2019, she was on complete bed-rest due to a very serious pressure sore.

She added: "During my recent and partly ongoing 15 months of bed-rest and also through my paintings, I decided to make more effort to reconnect with nature once more, to benefit both mind and body, it turns out my family were in agreement.

"As part of that, we planned some goals for when I finally got out of bed and to actually go up Moel Famau was one of them, something I hadn’t done for at least 21 years and God only knows how long before that.

So on bank holiday Monday, with fabulous support from friends and family, I finally went up Moel Famau in my chair.

The Leader:

One of Rachel's pieces of artwork - the world map in animals

"Granted not all the way, but to about 350 metres. I pushed myself a lot of the way up there and was also helped by others.

"The path was bumpy, stony and uneven, sometimes I was very close to the edge, the forecast wasn't good it was really blowy and cold up there, but it was so worth it."

During her months of bed-rest, Rachel's husband Ian decided to buy her a paint set to try and help improve her mental state.

And despite early trepidation, Rachel has found her niche and is now selling her paintings for a living.

She goes by the name of 'the Wonky Painter', due to the fact she has to paint on her side while lying in bed due to her injury.

"I got really depressed so taught myself to paint to give myself a focus and a purpose. I have no grip in my hands so everything I paint is two handed.

"It's really taken off, I've used social media a lot to promote my work. I think people really love my story."

You can follow Rachel's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pg/wonkyartist/about/ and buy her paintings at https://bit.ly/2Z2epP9 and follow her Instragram page @thewonkyartist