In March of 2015, a woman named Riona Kelly was rushed to the hospital having suffered an extremely rare spinal stroke.
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Riona– a 37-year-old mom to 4 children between the ages of 5 and 6– was left paralyzed from the waist down after the stroke. Doctors said she would never regain the use of her legs.
To make matters worse, Riona says her husband of 14 years asked for a divorce directly after the stroke, as she lay in her hospital bed.
“If someone had given me the choice, I would have ended my life,” said Riona. “I didn’t want to live anymore.”But her children became her inspiration.
After four months in the hospital, Riona finally began to see progress– even taking some steps with the help of specialized equipment! Finally, she could go home.
“At the time, I felt like giving up, but I knew I had to be strong for my children and so when I finally took my first steps it felt amazing.â€
But that’s not even the best part of Riona’s story.
Once she was home, Riona posted on Facebook asking if anyone knew of a personal trainer who could help her rehabilitate. That’s when she met Keith Mason.
In months-old Instagram posts, Riona thanked Keith for pushing her in their sessions. Her progress was nothing short of amazing! But when Riona decided to stop training with Keith, he reached out.
“After our sessions, Keith and I stayed in contact. He would ask me how I was getting on and our relationship blossomed from there.â€
Soon, the man who had helped her walk again became much more than a personal trainer.
“We have now been together 11 months. The children really like him and I finally feel like I’m living the life I deserve.â€
Keith also has a 5-year-old daughter, and the little families have come together in a beautiful way! Not only that, Riona’s strength has rapidly improved. Now she uses a wheelchair to travel long distances but is able to walk with crutches most days. In fact, she walks completely unaided when at home.
As if that isn’t impressive enough, Riona has managed to complete 2 marathons since her stroke with the help of her wheelchair.
“Keith says I inspire him, but he encourages me every day,”Riona says. “Looking back, going through what I did was the best thing to ever happen to me.â€
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