A young woman paralysed in a freak accident when a 70kg concrete block fell from a building crushing her has told of her delight at being a mum.

The freak accident happened when Kirsty Bell, 24, was struck down in Folkestone town centre, when part of a shop front fell onto her head and shoulders in 2013.

The ex-nursery worker from Hawkinge was left paralysed from the waist down, but that didn’t stop her following her dreams - marrying partner Ben and giving birth to little Harry.

She explained: “The year before my injury Ben proposed to me on the London Eye, we were planning the wedding for 2014.

“On the day of my injury we were going to the bank to deposit some money for our wedding fund, but all I remember is looking up and being surrounded by loads of people.

“I didn’t know what had happened, I thought I had just passed out from the heat.”

But a huge chunk of concrete had fallen from Black and White Estates Agents in Sandgate Road, changing Kirsty and Ben’s lives forever.

Paramedics treated Kirsty at the scene before an air ambulance flew her to King’s College Hospital in London, where doctors said she would never walk again.

She continued: “I didn’t give it much thought when they told me that, I just thought, ‘okay,I’m going to have to learn how to do things differently now.’

“I’m a pretty calm person, I just wanted to know if I would ever have children – the doctors weren’t sure.

“That was devastating."

Having suffered a severe spinal injury the ex-Pent Valley pupil was kept in hospital for eight-days before being transferred to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, a specialist unit.

She went on: “My luck changed when doctors said I would be able to have children.”

In October last year Kirsty gave birth to Harry after marrying Ben, 29, the year before.

Together they live in a rented bungalow in Hawkinge while waiting for their new home to be built.

Kirsty said: “After everything that happened I just feel lucky to have survived and lucky to be surrounded by my amazing family.”

Since rebuilding her life, Kirsty is settling what is likely to be a substantial compensation claim.

At the time of the incident, Shepway council said it was not taking further action against the property owner.

Neither the police nor Health and Safety Executive investigated the case.

But now, Kirsty is set to receive what likely be a seven-figure compensation payout.

Her story will feature on Where There’s Blame, There’s a claim, on Channel 5, Wednesday July 5 from 9pm.

Kirsty said: “I wanted to do the show for people out there who feel they may never get over their disability.

“I’ll never walk again, and it sounds weird to people, but my life is more enriched now I’ve had Harry.

“For me, my disability is not being able to walk, so I’ve just found ways to do things differently, and it has worked.

“If the show helps just one person out there, it is work it.”