Against all odds

Locked-in syndrome no barrier for fatherhood as Survivor NZ host Matt Chisholm’s brother and sister-in-law become parents. By Joanne Holden.

AFTER five years and spending more than $100,000 on IVF treatment, Nick and Nicola Chisholm were ready to give up their dream of having a child.

But on March 26, the first day of lockdown, the Dunedin couple’s dream came true, with Nicola giving birth to triplets Dakota, Ruby-Soo and Loki.

It has been close to 20 years since a series of mini-strokes, culminating in a massive brainstem stroke, rendered 47-year-old Nick nearly immobile. The then27-year-old rugby halfback collapsed during a game on July 29, 2000, after he passed the ball wide and his vision went blurry.

He staggered to the sideline and told the coach he felt sick; to put him back on the field in 10 minutes. But he blacked out.

Nick woke in hospital. While he was given the all-clear to go home three days later, the six days of seizures that followed saw him become bedridden, non-communicative, and in pain both physically and mentally.

He was diagnosed with locked-in syndrome, which usually occurs when a stroke blocks the neural isthmus connecting the brain to the body. All cognitive functions remain intact, but the body is unresponsive.

Nick’s younger brother,

Survivor NZ host Matt

Chisholm, a former reporter with TVNZ’s current affairs show Sunday, has briefly returned to the show to share his sibling’s baby joy.

‘‘He can’t walk or talk so he isn’t going to be a hands-on dad, but I think he’s going to add a lot of value. He’s a wise, sage, middle-aged man whose got a great outlook,’’ Matt said.

‘‘I think a child will add the same things to Nick’s life to anyone’s life. Going on and becoming a dad is a really beautiful thing for me to see, but it’s going to give him purpose outside the gym and teach him there are more important things than him.’’

Matt added if Nick had not focused his energies on recovering from accident, he would struggle to get out of bed every day – let alone get married, have children, and train those with disabilities to walk and rebuild their lives.

Nick, a six-time New Zealand body-building champion, can’t use muscles in his hands, fingers and wrists, but can move big muscle groups. He communicates by spelling out individual letters he looks at on a transparent Perspex board.

Nick and his wife, 48-year-old Nicola, had been trying for a baby for five years and had eight rounds of IVF in San Diego. They airs tonight, 7.30pm, on TVNZ 1.