MUM-of-two Louise Maycock is determined to make every moment count this year.

It may seem like a simple New Year’s resolution but the 35-year-old is lucky to be alive.

A tick bite left Louise in a coma, wired up to machines and fighting for her life.

She defied the odds to wake up but was left completely paralysed. Remarkably though, with the strength of her family, she relearned to walk in less than a year to marry the love of her life Ben.

“They call me the miracle girl in hospital and every day I feel lucky I am alive.

“Ben is my rock and has never failed to support me during the whole horrific year. I’m so thankful he’s stuck by me and is now helping to build our new life together.

“I will never be my old self but the new me is one with an amazing husband, two teenage boys and a loving family home. I’m so blessed and I can’t wait to make a lifetime of happy memories.

“We now have a list of all the things I’ve always wanted to do and we are doing them together.”

Louise fell ill after she was bitten by a tick when she was away with her two sons from a previous relationship Cameron, 15, and Joshua, 13, who has severe autism. She returned to the family home in Southbourne but her mum struggled to wake her up.

Louise was rushed to Royal Bournemouth Hospital on 2 September 2014 where she was diagnosed with encephalitis – a condition that causes inflammation of the brain.

“I was given a 20 per cent chance of survival and my family were told to prepare for the worst.”

Three weeks later she miraculously awoke.

“The encephalitis had ravaged my body – I was completely paralysed from the waist down.”

Just five months before life was very different for Louise, who met Ben on a skiing trip.

“I couldn’t believe Ben was still there by my side. Even my dad told him they wouldn’t blame him if he walked away but he said he never considered not being with me through all of it.

“The first thing I did was blow Ben a kiss –and he was so relieved I recognised him but I couldn’t hug him or the boys. I had no feeling. It was terrifying.

“There was a chance I’d walk again and with Ben’s support I held onto that chance. I needed to get back to being a mum to my boys.

“Ben drove down from Essex to Bournemouth every day off and sometimes would even just drive all the way down and back for half an hour with me to lift my spirits.

“I had many dark thoughts as I struggled to come to terms with my paralysis. There were times I thought why did I come out of the coma? I feared I’d never be able to walk again, or do anything again really.

“But Ben kept so positive. He said: ‘If the worst happens and you stay in a wheelchair, we’ll get you the best ever.’

“He even fixed some stretch bands to my hospital bed to make sure I did exercises. I started to walk before I could even feel my legs, they were still numb.

“Slowly, the feeling returned starting in my toes.

“I was transferred to the specialist unit at Poole Hospital and this time last year I was back at home but could barely walk across the living room. I had lost two stone in muscle. You could just see my bones and then skin hanging off. I had to start again.”

On May 9, Louise got the biggest motivation to learn to walk again – Ben, an outdoor activities instructor, proposed on a break in Cornwall.

“I had no idea what was coming. We were in love and he had told me before he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me but I never dreamed of a happy ever after."

The couple married on July 21 in front of 60 friends and family at St Christopher’s Church in Southbourne and Ben moved to Dorset.

“As the day approached I was using a walking stick but I did it, leaning on my brother as he walked me down the aisle, then I held onto Ben. I even managed our first dance without it.”

The pair are now counting down to their honeymoon touring Australia together in September.

But for Louise, who previously led an active lifestyle swimming, skiing and leading health walks at Moors Valley Country Park, it is the little milestones that make her smile like swimming in the baby pool of the local leisure centre and completing a lap of her garden on her pushbike.

Today she must set constant alarms on her phone to remind her to eat, take medication and pick up the children due to her short term memory loss and she suffers from fatigue, dizziness and poor balance.

Louise is involved with The Encephalitis Society and is hoping to set up a local support group with other victims.

“Sometimes I feel sad that it stole so much from me.

“But then I remember the miracles I have – my recovery, my sons and Ben and I really can’t complain.”

World Encephalitis Day takes place on February 22.

  • For more information go to www.worldencephalitisday.org.
  • Louise is fundraising for The Encephalitis Society. Go to www.virginmoneygiving.com/louisemaycockencephalitissociety