Newlywed Becky Vanden Bogaerde's goal to modify home after husband Dean Amos paralysed in surfing accident

Becky Vanden Bogaerde never imagined she’d be upholding her ‘in sickness and in health’ vow less than a year into her marriage, but a freak surfing accident on Australia Day left her husband Dean Amos paralysed from his armpits down. It was love at second sight for the couple who had been friends for 13 years before becoming a couple. “We met through mutual friends but were involved with other people at the time. Years later when we both found ourselves single we found each other,” Becky said. Dean served in the Australian Navy for a decade and was a keen open-water swimmer, surfer, stand-up paddleboarder, snowboarder, and mountain and motorbike rider before the accident. He lived in the UK for 30 years, where he met Becky before the pair moved to Australia in 2021 for lifestyle reasons. Now the couple have a big goal, modifying their Warnbro home so Dean can come home from rehab at Fiona Stanley Hospital. Becky said she was utterly devastated when she found out about the extent of Dean’s injuries. “We both love sports and travel - especially the off-the-beaten-track stuff and not everything is going to be accessible to us now,” she said. “He (Dean) is working hard to adapt to the new situation and get the most out of the support and facilities.” It was a miracle Dean survived, he was dumped by a wave head-first into a shallow sandbar. The impact dislocated and broke his neck and he was immediately paralysed. A wave flipped Dean on his back… luckily nearby surfers realised he was in trouble and floated him back to shore. The pair recently bought their first home built in the 1970s they were renovating themselves. However, the pair will now need tradesmen to help complete the renovations and it will need to be modified to accommodate Dean’s changed needs. The list of modifications is long and includes but is not limited to widening doorways, knocking walls out, installing an accessible kitchen, replacing the bathroom with a larger wet room, and installing hoist systems, ramps and hard flooring for wheelchair use. Their work is on hold and a GoFundMe has been started by friends to help with the renovations. “The kindness shown by strangers and the generosity of the wider community has been wonderful,” Becky said. “Everyone has done everything they can to help and support us. All of our friends and family have been amazing, from organising fundraising to cooking meals and helping me out at home”.