Soul mates to wed at last (From This Is Cheshire)

Soul mates to wed at last

9:00am Thursday 28th December 2006

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SOUL mates Hayley Westwood and James McKune will tie the knot next year in a true tale of love triumphing over adversity.

Last month, the Warrington Guardian exclusively told how James, aged 31, was left paralysed from the chest down following a horrific motorbike accident in July this year.

James and partner Hayley, aged 35, of Callands, were thrown off their bike and on to the road after it collided with a car.

As they lay on the roadside, passers-by acted as go- betweens for the pair, delivering messages of love as they fell in and out of consciousness.

Once in hospital, James, a police officer, proposed to Hayley as she lay in the bed next to him. It was only afterwards that they learned the true extent of his injuries.

James was told he would never walk again, but the couple, along with family and friends, are determined to prove doctors wrong.

And now, after they made national headlines with their fundraising campaign to get James walking again, the besotted couple look set to have the wedding of the year in 2007.

After an appearance by James and Hayley on GMTV, wedding planner Sarah Forde offered to plan the wedding free of charge.

And it wasn't long before other offers of help flooded in. Peckforton Castle, near Nantwich, is just one of four venues that have offered to hold the wedding and reception for free. England squad photographer Simon Moon will take wedding photographs, while a wedding dress has been offered by Virgin Brides, in Manchester.

Designer Menswear, on Horsemarket Street, has offered to provide five suits, and JTF Wholesale, of Woolston, will supply fireworks for the big day.

The couple were given a discount on their engagement rings by Michelle Thackeray and Joanne Houghton, of Ernest Jones Jewellers.

The engaged couple had put their wedding plans on hold, while they channelled their finances and energy into raising enough cash to buy a special bike for James.

The bike will prevent his muscles from deteriorating so that he will be a suitable candidate for any future treatment.

Hayley said: "It has been truly amazing. We have been completely overwhelmed by the response."

"Sarah was so touched by our interview on GMTV that she contacted us straight away and has managed to get everyone else on board.

"We can't quite believe it yet. Everybody has been so supportive we just can't thank them enough."

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