A COURAGEOUS mum whose husband died in a motorway crash near Taunton has raised more than £6,000 for the paramedics who helped save her life.

Ceri and Rod Walsh, from Cheddar in Somerset, were involved in a multi-vehicle collision on the M5 near Taunton in September 2018.

Another woman, Joanne Jennings, from Highbridge, also sadly died at the scene.

Ceri sustained serious injuries in the crash, and doctors initially feared she would never walk again.

After six months recovering, the dedicated mum-of-two got back on her feet and picked up an old habit - running.

A year after her crash, she defied the odds and took part in a sponsored 10km run in memory of Rod.

She and a team of around 20 people took part in the Swansea 10km, along with a host of supporters.

She chose that particular run as her and Rod had first met in Swansea, so it holds a special place in her heart.

Ms Walsh said: “I’ve been through a rollercoaster of emotions during the past year. But once I realised I was going to survive, I wanted to do something for the people who responded to the incident.

“The ambulance service deals with incidents that no human being would want to witness. They work professionally to maintain life at the worst possible time. Without the ambulance service my two wonderful children would be living without their mum.”

Ceri handed-over the cheque for £6,387.75 to South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) staff on behalf of the charity at Taunton Ambulance Station on Tuesday 5 November.

Two of Ceri’s colleagues also raised more than £2,500 from a skydive in March.

Zoe Later, head of South Western Ambulance Charity, said: “We are so grateful to Ceri, her family, friends and colleagues for their incredible fundraising for the South Western Ambulance Charity.

“Alongside the generous donations, I’ve been honoured to read some of the heart-warming messages from Ceri’s supporters on her fundraising page.

“To raise a total of almost £9,000 for the charity is a fantastic legacy to her husband, Rod, and a real testament to how loved Ceri and her family are. They are such an inspiration to us all.”

The family described Rod as a “gentle fun-loving family man” who was “loved dearly”. They praised his “laughter, love of life, kindness and loyalty”.

Rod was a committed member of the parish church in Cheddar, and had been an NHS worker for almost 40 years.

Ceri has worked as a nurse for more than 30 years, so she understands the impact working in the NHS can health on health and wellbeing.

Because of this, she asked for her donations to be earmarked for ambulance stations in Somerset.

The money will be put to good use, supporting the ambulance staff in all aspects of their work.