An Australian mom revealed Saturday that her partner was paralyzed after blowing his nose and suffered a spinal injury.
According to Kirsty Bronner, she and her family were at home on New Year’s day in 2022 when she heard a “loud bang coming from their bathroom,” reports The Daily Mail.
“I rushed in and found my partner lying unconscious on the floor,” said Bronner, 34. “He had hit his neck and dislocated it causing a C6/7 spinal cord injury.”
According to Bronner, he had fainted after blowing his nose and then hit his neck on the bathroom bench.
The scariest thing, according to the devastated mom, is that her partner seemingly predicted the fall.
“I will never forget him saying he felt like something bad was on the way. I look back now and it gives me chills,” recalled Bronner.
Due to COVID procedures, Bronner was unable to visit her 43-year-old partner in the hospital as he underwent a grueling six-hour surgery.
“I was so sick with worry. Eventually they rang and said he had a neck dislocation from hitting the bench which had caused a spinal cord injury and wouldn’t know the extent of the injuries until they had done surgery and done tests,” said Bronner.
As a result, Bronner spent several months coping with depression and caused her skincare business — The Booty Co. — to suffer.
“The emotional and mental stresses caused was so severe that I could not tend to the business at all,” said Bronner. “
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The mother-of-four was left to take care of her children on her own while her partner underwent six months of hospital stays and rehab. “We had a third-party warehouse to send out but everything else was completely halted.”
Bronner’s sister — who serves as the brand’s creative director — also attempted to help.
“I was so mentally strained I struggled to tend to my kids as best I could so Felicity would come and do a lot of housework and help with the kids, leaving her unable to do her part in the business as well,” said Bronner.
As of today, Bronner’s partner has still to make a full recovery and doctors have said that it is ” highly unlikely” he ever will.
Bronner, on the other hand, says that she has poured everything into her business.
“I don’t really have downtime for myself anymore at all. I put every spare minute into the business,” she said.
“I try and do things that make it a little easier such as order most things online like groceries, make sure I’m organized for the days the night before and get help where needed.”
According to Bronner, whose business reached $1.2 billion in sales in March, it was the “toughest time” of her life.
Bronner has also stated that $5 of every purchase will go to Neura Australia, a group dedicated to researching ways those with spinal injuries might be able to walk again.
