Heartbroken dad-of-two whose first wife died in car crash in shock after second wife is paralysed in freak accident
Ian Freeman, 40, told how his second wife broke her neck after falling through the shower door
A HEARTBROKEN father whose first wife died in a car crash has been struck by another tragedy as his second wife was paralysed in a freak accident.
Ian Freeman, 40, from Sleaford, Lincolnshire, has told how his second wife was paralysed from the neck down after falling in the shower.
Mr Freeman, a former teacher, said: "In May 2014 my wife, Maxine, died in a car crash on her way back from the shops.
"She went to do her shopping on Saturday morning and the road had collapsed in the middle and it made her car bounce towards a lorry coming the other way - she was killed instantly."
After the tragedy, he met Louise online in November 2014.
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While he was initially not looking for a relationship at the time, the pair became engaged one year later.
He said: "I wasn't expecting to meet Louise so quickly.
"She sent me a message [on a dating website] I said I wasn't looking for a relationship and it went from there and we got engaged a year later."
The accident took place in September last year, just four months into their marriage.
He said: "She got the children ready for school on September 26, she was having a shower, became faint and fell through the shower door and hit her head opposite breaking her neck.
"She said she could see her feet but she couldn't move them."
Louise managed to bang on the bathroom door, alerting the children to call 999.
She was rushed to QMC in Nottingham and is now being treated at a hospital in Sheffield.
While she has regained full control of her arms, Louise is not able to lift heavy items but her family are hoping she will make a good recovery.
Mr Freeman, who is now a stay-at-home dad, said: "She is getting stronger every day.
"I am not the kind of person that thinks 'why me'. It's unfortunate that it's happened to the same family twice but I don't look at it like that.
"I feel really grateful that Louise is still here as there were some points in the first few days when her heart rate was really low - they weren't entirely sure she was going to pull through."
Louise will be discharged from hospital at the end of March, and Mr Freeman is appealing for help with the expensive process of adapting his home for her recovery.
While the local council will do some of the work, Mr Freeman will be responsible for a bulk of the work that will need to be done.
He said: "It's just unaffordable for us to get the work done. I have done one room by myself and that's one of the children's bedrooms.
"I am appealing to local businesses for labour - I do have limited funds to get materials.
"Some of the things that need altering in the house include lowering the kitchen floor, lowering the light switches and to laminate or carpet the floor.
Mr Freeman is asking anyone who can help to email [email protected].
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