A 32-year-old woman became paralyzed from the neck down after doing the sport she loved — now, her family and friends are doing everything they can to help.
It’s been two months since Abby Weiss fell and injured her spinal cord while doing acroyoga, a sport that combines yoga and acrobatics, and something she’s been practicing for four years, reports the New York Post.
The life-altering accident has caused her to have to move from San Diego — where she had lived for a few years — back to Chicago with her loved ones, as she is no longer able to live on her own.
Abby Weiss.
Gofundme
Renee Smith, who created a GoFundMe to help Weiss with her medical care and rehabilitation process, tells PEOPLE that her friend has her “sights high on walking one day” as she continues therapy at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago.
“She has had sensation return to different parts of her body, which is always incredible news to hear. She will eventually leave acute care and begin outpatient therapy. This next transition is another complex step and her family is preparing for this actively.”
The fundraising campaign, created in late June, has garnered over 1,700 donations and raised over $160,000 of its $250,000 goal — something Weiss’ family is forever grateful for as they remain “focused on helping Abby through this next chapter,” says Smith.
Abby Weiss.
Gofundme
“This past week marked two months since her accident; her close friends paused to take a moment to reflect on all the events that have occured in the past two months, and wholeheartedly appreciate the community that has come together and shown up to support Abby and her family during this period,” Smith says.
“It’s truly been moving to see all the support from the community,” she adds. “I know that Abby was personally touched, and her mother has shared several times that she is truly humbled and thankful for the outpouring of support for her daughter.”
In the GoFundMe campaign, Weiss is described as someone with a “love for life extended to hobbies like acroyoga, Zouk dancing, hiking, yoga, learning Spanish, and world travel.”
In an interview with KGTV, her father, Rory Weiss, spoke about his family’s determination to help her medical journey, expressing that “everything has to be done for her.”
“The medical bills are astronomical,” he said. “We have insurance, but caregivers and therapy, there’s no end. People we don’t even know have contributed [to the GoFundMe]. It’s just amazing.”
