Aylesbury woman hails 'amazing' neighbours for coming to her rescue after life-changing fall

Chris Gaskin, who lives in Aylesbury, broke both her ankles and her left leg navigating the unsafe doorstep outside her home.

She twisted one of her ankles and, as she attempted to recover, her other leg ended up contorted under the rest of her body. And it was at this point that she turned the other ankle and heard a snap.

Chris was in excruciating pain, on her own, without her phone to hand and calling for help was extremely difficult, given the intense agony she was in.

A nearby teenage girl who was revising outdoors saw Chris lying prone on the floor and got her parents to assist.

The family looked after and supported the 64-year-old while they waited for over two hours for an ambulance to arrive.

The Aylesbury retiree recently returned from hospital after her life-changing fall on 25 May.

But, as well as the good Samaritans whose names she doesn't know, Chris is also eternally grateful to her neighbours, Amy and Jason, who Chris has described as 'the best neighbours ever'.

They fed Chris' cat, completed shopping trips and looked after the house during the two-weeks their neighbour was receiving extensive hospital treatment.

Amy and Jason continue to help out cooking Sunday roasts for Chris, picking up prescriptions and regularly checking in with the 64-year-old who now relies on a wheelchair.

Chris told The Bucks Herald: “They are the best neighbours in the world.

"I wanted to say thank you to my neighbours.

"I can tell my family that I love them so much, and I have.

"I haven’t even seen the neighbours who came to my rescue yet.

"I don’t know what I would have done without them.

"And what can I do? I just thought, put it in the newspaper let everybody know how wonderful these people are.”

Chris was also keen to point out the help she has received from her children and grandchildren who have been by her side and going ‘above and beyond’ since last month’s fall.

Her children, Tim and Helen, have been by her side all the way, she said Tim’s support has been ‘great’, while her daughter has been a ‘superstar’.

Her three grandchildren Sophia, Dillon and Josh have also helped out.

The eldest, Josh, has been taking shopping orders round to his grandmother’s home, while Dillon went out of his way to get the train into Aylesbury to welcome his nan as she left hospital.

Chris is on a long road to recovery and accepts her life may never be the same again.

Mainly, she will miss swimming - one of her favourite pastimes - but she doubts she’ll have the strength in her lower legs to manage the breaststroke.

Today could prove momentous as Chris is hoping to use her ramp and wheelchair to leave the house for the first time since the injury and intends to thank her neighbours in person.

She added: “Everyone has played their part.

"My recovery is going to take a long time, without the help and support of all the people around me I don't think I'd be making as much progress as I am.”