Anne Marie's story

Following a flight home from Australia, for a surprise family birthday party, Anne Marie suffered a spinal cord stroke thus leaving her paralysed from her chest down. The resulting catastrophic injury meant relocating suddenly with her husband and young son from her life in Perth Australia, where they had lived for almost 6 years.

Anne Marie spent 7 months in total recovering in Beaumont hospital and The National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dun Laoighaire. At the moment she is waiting to move from rented accommodation into a newly adapted house, in her home town of Ballybay.

Anne Marie is refusing to accept her prognosis and her goal is to some day walk again. In the meantime, herself and her husband Mark, with the help of family and friends, are keeping a close eye on current treatments and research projects being carried out in Ireland and internationally.

She is willing to participate in anything that will help improve her ongoing rehabilitation and further facilitate her recovery.

So whats happening at present?

As well as being a wife and Mum to a toddler, Anne Marie attends a physiotherapist, walks in an exoskeleton at every chance she gets, attends an accessible gym and the hyperbaric chamber in Dublin. All these activities have been sourced and paid for by Anne Marie herself.  Her goal of driving independently has also been achieved.

Fundraising

In order to continue on this journey a trust fund has been established to help with the cost of the various therapies, also to enable the purchase of specialist equipment, helping Anne Marie pursue her goals and continue her fight against paralysis. Any fundraising support is much appreciated.

How to get in touch?

If you wish to fundraise for this trust, please email  theannemarieleonardtrust@gmail.com, or contact The Anne Marie Leonard Trust facebook page.

A website, theannemarieleonardtrust.ie has also been set up and a paypal donate link button can be found here.