A former paramedic trainee who worked on the frontline at Haslemere Ambulance Station during the Covid pandemic has been left fighting for the independence she once helped provide to others.

Lucy Gatward, 34, spent three years training to become a paramedic at the University of Surrey, completing ambulance placements at Haslemere, Tongham and Farnborough.

She was months away from qualifying when she caught Covid in 2022 – but never recovered.

The illness left her with ME/CFS, POTS and irreversible small fibre dysfunction, ultimately forcing her to give up her dream of becoming a paramedic.

She is now unable to work at all and relies on a wheelchair for much of her day-to-day life.

“It was hard, to say the least, but so rewarding because you knew you were making a difference,” Lucy said. “People were scared and I could be a reassuring face. But then I got sick. It was heartbreaking. I lost all my confidence and didn’t know who I was anymore.”

Now an ambulatory wheelchair user, Lucy faces another battle – getting the equipment she needs to live safely and independently.

Her lightweight folding wheelchair cannot cope with uneven ground. She said bumps and kerbs can cause it to jolt dangerously, while vibrations can trigger severe burning sensations because of her nerve damage.

It also cannot recline, despite Lucy experiencing POTS and sometimes losing consciousness.

“My partner and son have to pin me down to stop me falling out,” she said.

Yet Lucy does not qualify for a powered wheelchair through NHS wheelchair services because she can still walk short distances.

“It means I’m too sick for a normal chair, which the NHS has said, but not sick enough for a powered one,” she said. “So I’m really stuck.”

Her fundraising campaign was then hit by another blow when she was almost scammed out of £2,500 by people impersonating mobility company Lifestyle & Mobility.

The scammers offered the exact wheelchair she was fundraising for at a reduced price, but Lucy became suspicious when asked to pay the deposit into an individual’s bank account.

She contacted the genuine company, which confirmed it was a scam, helped have the account taken down and offered her the wheelchair at a reduced price.

The XSTO wheelchair costs £4,000, plus £250 for the specialist headrest, but Lifestyle & Mobility has offered Lucy the package for £3,250.

Lucy is also campaigning for NHS wheelchair eligibility to reflect clinical need, safety and functional ability – rather than excluding people who can still walk short distances.

Her MP, Paul Holmes, has written to the Minister for Health and Social Care, while Lucy has submitted a petition to Parliament.

“It feels quite surreal that I went from training on ambulances in Surrey during one of the biggest health crises of our generation to becoming disabled myself and now campaigning for better access to mobility equipment,” she said.

“I want people to understand that being able to walk a short distance does not mean you don’t need a wheelchair.”