A BRIDGWATER family are appealing for help to get mum Kelly home from hospital after a life-changing diagnosis.

Kelly and Kevin Marsh have two young daughters - Elena, three, and seven-month old Franceska - but just weeks after baby Franceska was born, the family's lives were turned upside down.

Kelly was admitted to hospital on July 5 with severe pain and was diagnosed with kidney stones.

However when doctors were operating to remove the kidney stones, they discovered Kelly had a life-threatening kidney infection.

They had to put a stent in her kidney and were unable to remove the kidney stones.

Things turned from bad to worse for the family as Kelly lost sensation in one her legs, feeling 'a numb, tingling pain' which then spread to her other leg.

Mr Marsh said: "An MRI scan found a mass in Kelly's spinal cord, and she was transferred to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, admitted to intensive care for further investigation.

"Three months on and Kelly is still in hospital.

"She is unable to walk and dependent on the use of a wheelchair.

"She has missed three months of being a full-time mummy to her beautiful girls and as a family we are trying hard to come to terms with our new reality."

The mass on Kelly's spine turned out to be a tumour, too deep within the spinal cord to take a biopsy.

The tumour has caused significant nerve damage which is not reversible, and although in time, with physio, Kelly may be able to walk again in some capacity, the loss of feeling and numbness will never change.

Mr Marsh said: "The prospect of not being able to feel your legs, to be able to run with your children and be dependant on the use of a wheelchair to do normal daily tasks is life-changing.

"We need to get Kelly home, to be a family again and start to work through our new life together.

"Kelly is desperate to get home but is stuck in a hospital bed as the house is not able to accommodate her needs.

"This is our own DIY SOS."

A fundraiser has been started to help the Marsh family afford adaptations to the house which are needed to get Kelly home again.

If you would like to donate, visit gofundme.com/f/g4d9ce-help-get-kelly-home.

At the time of writing, the page has £667 of donations toward a £5,000 target.