Vicky Balch – who had her leg amputated after the horrific Alton Towers Smiler crash – has revealed she has now had to postpone her dream wedding.
Vicky, 24, from Preston, Lancashire, was due to marry fiance Dino Manciocchi, 25, in Italy in September.
However, she took to Instagram today to reveal that the nuptials had been postponed, leaving her ‘absolutely gutted’.
They are the latest couple to cancel or move their big day in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Beautician Vicky was one of 16 injured when the Smiler rollercoaster hit an empty carriage on the tracks in June 2015.
Alton Towers, in Staffordshire, which is owned by Merlin Entertainments, was fined £5million over the incident.
Vicky Balch, 24, from Preston, Lancashire, was due to marry fiance Dino Manciocchi, 25, in Italy in September
Taking to Instagram, she said she was ‘absolutely gutted’ to reveal that she was having to postpone her wedding
Vicky revealed in November that she had been given a multi-million pound payout after losing her right leg in the crash.
She was using the money to fund her dream wedding.
The bride-to-be said that getting the pay-out was a relief but made her realise the severity of what had happened.
‘I had to face that this was going to be something I was going to have to live with for the rest of my life. What normal 24-year-old has to think about any of that?’, she said.
‘I don’t think I’m ever going to get real closure. I need to go to the same physio my entire life, the same appointments my entire life. But at least now I can live my life.
Vicky also told how she was thrilled to be engaged, has already got her wedding dress and is planning a fairytale nuptials with close friends and family.
‘I couldn’t believe he was asking. I cried for five minutes. I didn’t click what it was until I saw the ring,’ she said.
The compensation money is earmarked primarily for physio, treatments and prosthetic limbs for the rest of her life.
Vicky revealed in November that she had been given a multi-million pound payout after losing her right leg in the crash
The bride-to-be, from Preston, Lancashire, was pictured last June shopping for a wedding dress in Manchester with mother Karen, future sister-in-law Christina-Rose and future family member Karen
The crash in 2015, when the ride hit a stationary car at the Staffordshire themepark, injured 16 people
After Dino, who runs pizza oven company Valorioni, proposed in December 2018, the bride was seen shopping for a wedding dress last June.
In November, Vicky was pictured with her new £60,000 prosthetic leg which she said will allow her to wear heels and paint her toenails again, as she entered Fairytale Brides in Whitefield, Manchester.
She was joined by her mother Karen, and future sister-in-law Christina-Rose and future family member Karen.
The beautician got engaged during a romantic retreat at Mottram Hall Hotel in Cheshire.
Leah Washington, from Barnsley, South Yorkshire, also had her leg amputated as a result of the crash.
A spokesman for Merlin Entertainments said in November: ‘We are pleased to have reached a settlement with Vicky and we wish her the very best for her wedding.
‘From the outset we have engaged fully at all times to resolve all the claims as quickly as possible.
‘However due to the complex nature of Vicky’s case, it was not possible to reach a settlement until now. In the meantime, interim payments and other support have been provided to aid Vicky’s rehabilitation.’