Bettystown man and former MMA athlete fighting back after stroke

A YOUNG man from Bettystown who was left with a brain injury after suffering a stroke last year says that the martial art Jiu Jitsu has saved his life.  Aaron Reilly (23) was gearing up to fight in the biggest kickboxing competition in Ireland when he had a stroke after spending a morning training in the gym. Aaron owes the focus and discipline of the Brazillian martial art for rebuilding his life and he's now set to compete in the ParaJiuJitsu World Championships later this month. 

 “I was competing in MMA and kickboxing competitions and at the time was training for the biggest kickboxing title in Ireland. 
 “On the day I had my stroke I was at home. I stood up to get a glass of water and all of a sudden I started to feel dizzy and confused like I had a rush of blood to the head. Then my vision went. I tried to tell my Mam that something was wrong and that I thought that I was having a stroke but my speech was slurred and I couldn't get the words out. It was terrifying.

“An ambulance arrived and took me to the hospital. My words were still slurring and my face was drooping.” 

 Aaron was sent for an MRI and a week later received the results that showed a blood clot.

 

Aaron in action 

“I was admitted to the Acute Stroke Unit in Our Lady of Lourdes Hosptial for a week. Eventually, they found a hole in the back of my heart and that's what caused the clot.”

Aaron was discharged from hospital a week later and although he was back and forth for appointments there was very little support offered according to the athlete,

 “I felt very isolated. I had to accept that I could never compete in MMA again which was devastating.” 

The Frontal Lobe, a part of the brain that plays a huge role in many functions like memory, language, movement, judgment and abstract thinking were affected as a result of the stroke as he explains:  

“I can get upset over nothing and have mood swings that I can't control. At first, I didn't understand the way I was feeling but I've recently started a 16-week cognitive rehabilitation group that helps me understand my brain injury.”

 

 Although the young Bettystown man remains positive, the stroke has had a profound effect on his everyday life. 

“It's very daunting going out in public. Sometimes if I’m in a shop I have to leave because the lights and noise are too much for me.  I also find it very difficult to follow a conversation. Even in small groups, my attention to anything is pretty bad because of the part of my brain which was affected. 

 “Wayne Fagan, a Brazillian Jiu-jitsu coach rang me when I was in the hospital and invited me to his gym where he would make it safe for me to train.

"I can hand on heart say that jiu-jitsu saved my life. I have over the last few months with the help of family friends and teammates crawled my way back to fitness. It has been a long and hard struggle.

 “Jiujitsu has changed me as a person, it's made me more centered. I'm actually much happier now than I was before the stroke.”

At 23, Aaron Reilly has endured battles most people wouldn't come up against in a lifetime but he is determined to live life to the full and encourages others to do the same. 

 “If something knocks you down you have to get back up, keep your head up because there is always hope even in the darkest of situations.”

If you'd like to donate to Aaron's trip to the ParaJiu-Jitsu World Championships visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/aarons-world-parajiujitsu-campaign-for-abu-dhabi