In a remarkable story of perseverance and recuperation, a woman who had a crippling spinal stroke overcame all obstacles to restore her ability to walk. After her life took an abrupt and terrible turn in March 2015, 37-year-old Riona Kelly of Halifax, Yorkshire, was faced with the heartbreaking possibility that she may never be able to walk again.
Her legs were paralyzed from the waist down, and she was forced to face the terrible truth of her new physical limits after being rushed to the hospital. Five days into her hospital stay, her husband chose to dissolve their marriage, turning what should have been a time of greatest need and support into a heartbreaking moment.
“I was miserable in my marriage, but we had built a life together and had responsibilities,” Riona recalls, highlighting the sudden abandonment when she needed her husband the most.
Doctors gave her a bleak early diagnosis, predicting that she could never be able to walk again. Riona acknowledged that she struggled with feelings of hopelessness and despair as she dealt with the difficult transition to living in a wheelchair. A strong urge to stop living came over her.
But the tenacity of the human spirit won out, and Riona started an incredible healing process. She made a breakthrough thanks to endless hours of physical therapy and unyielding perseverance. Her first steps on a parallel bar were an emotional victory, despite the odds and her initial paralysis.
Her consultant, taken aback by her progress, was astonished that she had defied the dire prognosis. With daily dedication and relentless strength building, Riona’s journey continued. After four months in the hospital, she was finally allowed to return home, though the process of ascending and descending 16 steps still presented a formidable challenge. But her resolve was fueled by her love for her children, and she persevered.
During her rehabilitation, Riona crossed paths with Keith Mason, a 35-year-old personal trainer who would become much more than just a coach. Their relationship evolved as they worked through physiotherapy sessions together, eventually blossoming into love. Now together for 11 months, the couple has blended their families, and Riona feels like she’s living the life she deserves.
Riona’s amazing journey went on as she was able to walk unassisted and finished two marathons with the use of her wheelchair. Riona attributes her extraordinary change to love, persistence, and an unbreakable spirit, but she is also enjoying life’s new opportunities and her increased strength, even though her wheelchair still allows her to travel farther.
According to Riona’s ex-husband, he had filed for divorce the morning before her stroke, not while she was in the hospital, and he had made every effort to provide for her and their kids during that trying time. Each of them has since moved on to start new lives on their own.
