“I’d like to think I’ll be able to be a mum one day.”

When Gabby says this, she is not talking about a distant dream. She is talking about something many people may not realise is possible for women with spinal cord injury: motherhood.

Gabby was just 12 when she found herself in a wheelchair. Since then, she has grown up navigating puberty, bladder management, body confidence, dating, sport, independence, and the question of whether the future she imagined for herself is still possible.

It is. But it is also complicated. And far too many women are left to figure it out alone.

Spinal cord injury is a women’s issue.

Pregnancy, motherhood, sexuality, menstruation, menopause, confidence, independence — these deeply personal parts of being a woman continue after injury. Too often, they are misunderstood, under-researched, or simply not talked about.

For Gabby, a cure is not only about walking again. It is about bladder control. Bone strength. Sensation. Sexual health. Confidence. Pregnancy. Independence. The freedom to participate fully in life.

That is why the CatWalk Cure Programme matters. By supporting CatWalk, you help fund research that better understands spinal cord injury, develops new treatments, and listens to the real-world priorities of people living with injury.