My husband left me when I was paralysed... now I’ve found love with man who helped me walk
A MOTHEr who claimed she was dumped by her husband in hospital after being paralysed has found love again with the trainer who helped her recover.
riona Kelly, 37, was left unable to move from the waist down after suffering a stroke.
And the misery of her marriage break-up was compounded when doctors told her she would not walk again.
But she eventually got back on her feet – and is now in a relationship with the man who helped her do it. Miss Kelly has even been signed up as a model.
Her estranged husband richard Bingham, 50, insists he asked for a divorce the morning before her stroke, not in the hospital.
Miss Kelly had a rare spinal stroke at home in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in March 2015. she said she fell down a flight of stairs and her five-year-old son called for help.
Just five days later her husband asked for a divorce, she said. ‘Not only did i have to deal with paralysis but i had to deal with losing my partner of 14 years,’ she added. ‘i was left completely alone … it was the time i needed my husband the most.’
Miss Kelly was determined to get better for the sake of children Leighanra, 16, Caleb, 11, izabela, nine, and Logan, five.
she was initially told by doctors she should be able to start walking within six weeks, but when that time passed and she could not move her legs they feared the worst.
she said: ‘ Doctors told me i would never walk again. i’d had a car accident 18 months previous and they said that could have caused problems in my spine.
‘if someone had given me the choice i would have ended my life. But the other patients on the ward were amazing … they encouraged me to get out of bed every day.’
Two weeks after the gloomy prognosis Miss Kelly took her first steps with the support of parallel bars.
‘ Every day i built up my strength and after four months in hospital i was finally allowed to go home,’ she said. ‘it took me 25 minutes to get up 16 steps … but i was determined to do it for my children.’
Miss Kelly met former rugby league player Keith Mason, 35, in January last year when she needed a trainer to help her regain fitness. she said she ‘ couldn’t believe a gorgeous rugby player wanted to date a disabled woman like me’.
‘We have now been together for 11 months, the children really like him and i finally feel like i’m living the life i deserve,’ she added. Miss Kelly can now walk properly and uses her wheelchair only for long distances.
Mr Bingham said her account of when he asked for a divorce was wrong, adding: ‘While she was in hospital i visited as much as i could … we have both moved on.’
‘Determined to get better’