A woman has been left paralysed from the neck down after she suffered a horrifying fall as she attempted an ambitious new yoga move, her family have said.
Fitness fanatic Abby Weiss told her loved ones that she feels as though she is stuck ‘in a straight jacket’ due to the devastating spinal cord injury she endured while exercising in June this year.
The 32-year-old had been taking part in acroyoga – which is a combination of yoga and acrobatics – when she tried to complete a challenging move and tragically fell.
The speech therapist, who ‘loved’ taking part in the unusual physical practice, suffered a severe injury to her spinal cord during the incident in San Diego, US, which has left her paralysed from the neck down.
It means Abby – described as ‘vibrant’ and ‘passionate’ by her loved ones in a GoFundMe post – will now require round-the-clock care for the rest of her life, which has come as a huge blow for the business owner.
Her heartbroken father told WISTV that the circumstances are especially torturous for her to deal with as she loved being active and regularly enjoyed travelling, hiking, Zouk dancing and sports.
“She said the other day it feels like she’s in a straight jacket,” the dad said. “She can’t move. Everything’s got to be done for her.”
Two months on from Abby’s life-changing injury, she has now moved back to Chicago to live with her parents while she undergoes rehab at a nearby medical facility.
Her aunt, Judy Washer, has told how the family were left overwhelmed when clearing out the sports lover’s apartment in San Diego, which Abby had moved into eight years ago to ‘be closer to the ocean’.
“It’s just awful to have to pack her stuff up,” she said. “It’s just awful and it didn’t have to be like this.
“The San Diego community: thank you for giving her the wonderful years that she had here.”
Abby is said to have been practicing acroyoga for four years before she was paralysed, but her father revealed that he didn’t exactly understand the intensity or the risks of the exercise beforehand.
“Had I known the type of manoeuvres she was doing, I would have told her not to do it,” her father admitted.
“But I don’t think she would’ve listened.”
The dad explained they are currently up against mounting medical bills due to the numerous caregivers and therapy clinics they have visited in the hopes of aiding Abby’s recovery.
Friends and family have launched a GoFundMe page to help cover the costs, which has already raised an incredible $157,000 (£119,000) so far.
Abby’s loved ones remain hopeful that she will regain some movement as her inflammation decreases, however, doctors have warned there are not any guarantees.
The latest GoFundMe update, shared on 27 July by pal Renee Smith, explained that the 32-year-old had ‘made impressive strides’ and was making ‘small steps forward’.
It read: “During her speech therapy session, the therapist capped her trach tube, allowing her to breathe using her own upper airway, inhaling and exhaling through her nose. The yogi in me immediately messaged her mom back with pure joy.
“Per her mother, Abby went on to breathe on her own for an entire hour!! While this may seem small, this is a step forward and we need to celebrate.”
Renee added that Abby had been ‘brought to tears’ after she showed her images of the fundraising activities which people are hosting for her across the US.