Bride-to-be paralysed by friend at bachelorette party reveals new heartbreak

A woman who was paralysed by her best friend at her bachelorette party is currently asking for help after suffering another blow more recently.

Rachelle Chapman was set to marry her college sweetheart in 2010 when her best friend jokingly pushed her in a pool, where she hit her head at the bottom.

"I sustained a spinal cord injury and was paralysed from the chest down including my hands," Ms Chapman said on TikTok, adding that she "had to get used to life as a quadriplegic".

Ms Chapman, from the US state of North Carolina, ended up marrying her husband, Chris, the following year and has since been a disability advocate, raising awareness about her condition online where she has thousands of followers.

The couple also welcomed their child via surrogate, Kaylee, who is now six-years-old.

'Never seen so much blood'

However in June this year when she had just "gained (the) confidence" to drive, Ms Chapman was involved in a car crash.

"As many of you know I’ve been afraid to start driving," she said on her Instagram.

"But I had not shared the amazing news that I was driving all the time now! I gained my confidence and have met up with friends, gotten my hair done independently and taking Kaylee to school."

She explained how the accident happened and that she had "never seen so much blood".

"We were in a rush so Chris threw me in the driver's seat at the house and put my chest strap on. It felt a little loose but I was just driving across the street to Target so I continued," Ms Chapman said.

"On my way home, when turning left around the roundabout, I started falling to the right and I couldn’t turn the steering wheel left. I hit a tree and slammed my face into the steering wheel.

"My nose was bleeding everywhere but I also basically cut the inside of my mouth and ripped where my lip touches my gums."

She has since recovered, though her wheelchair-accessible van which gave her "so much freedom" was sadly destroyed in the crash.

GoFundMe started for Rachelle Chapman to get a new car

Ms Chapman started crowdfunding for financial assistance to buy a new specialised vehicle which "costs for more than your average van".

"I have to get one with a ramp, a transfer chair and hand controls," she said on Instagram. "These cars are often over $60,000 used and over $80,000 new."

"Without it, I am unable to go anywhere."

She mentioned in her Instagram that "so many people say (she) should never drive again," but doesn't think it's a fair comment to make.

"They see the wheelchair and think that because of that I shouldn’t even be on the road in the first place," Ms Chapman said.

"But me driving is absolutely no different than you driving. I just use my hands for the gas as opposed to my feet. Instead of just a seatbelt, I also have a chest strap to hold me in place."

So far the GoFundMe has raised almost US$13K (A$20,741) out of the US$28K goal.

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As Ms Chapman continues to share her journey, many people ask whether she forgives her best friend for paralysing her.

"Just curious if y’all are still friends? That would definitely be hard," one person said on TikTok.

"I don't think I could ever forgive a person for doing that to me," another said.

Ms Chapman revealed that she has, but her condition is something she still has to deal with every single day.

"It’s a difficult question. We didn’t stop being friends because she pushed me," she replied on TikTok. "I forgave her".

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