A California couple is making the most of their lives after a terrible accident nearly destroyed their chances of being together.
Cody Bryant and Haley Woloshen met in Hawaii in 2022. They bonded instantly after discovering they lived just a mile apart in Los Angeles.
The duo spent several weeks together before Bryant suddenly stopped responding to Woloshen’s messages, leading her to believe he had ‘cheated’ on her.
However, the reality could not be more different: Bryant had been hit by a car while riding a moped in Ibiza and suffered significant injuries that left him in a coma.
Woloshen made the terrifying discovery after stumbling upon a GoFundMe campaign that Bryant’s friends and family had created to offset the cost of his medical bills.
Cody Bryant and Haley Woloshen bonded instantly during a trip to Hawaii in 2022, but Woloshen became concerned when Bryant stopped responding to her messages.
He later learned that his crush had been hit by a car while riding a moped in Ibiza and had suffered significant injuries that left him in a coma.
After months of grueling rehabilitation, the couple reconnected. However, Woloshen soon learned that Bryant had a traumatic brain injury and did not remember the time they had spent together.
“Neither of us expected it, but the feelings began to grow. “I joke that she won me over for the second time,” Bryant wrote in an Instagram post.
He was eventually cleared to return to the Hermosa Beach home he shared with his three roommates, undergoing physical, occupational and speech therapy throughout.
The accident left him with hemiplegia or partial paralysis, leading doctors to fear he would never walk again.
However, Bryant was determined to beat the odds. In March, he and Woloshen attended a wedding in Guatemala, and Bryant set out to check off a goal on his bucket list: reaching the top of the Acetenango volcano.
“Before my accident, I took many renowned trips around the world, but unfortunately, I thought I would never be able to do this again,” Cody explained.
‘I still have problems with balance and muscle coordination, so going down slippery, steep and uneven terrain caused me to slip and fall a lot. Fortunately, Haley’s cheerleading skills came in handy in minimizing the impact.”
The couple reconnected as Bryant continued to undergo grueling therapy.
Doctors feared he would never walk again, but Bryant fought the odds and managed to complete a volcano hike that had been on his bucket list.
Bryant used a cane and two therapy braces, along with frequent breaks. Arriving at base camp, he and Woloshen watched as smoke billowed from the mouth of the volcano, and the fruits of their labor were immediately evident.
“Every step was a victory and getting to the top meant more than I can put into words,” Bryant wrote in a GoFundMe update. “I am determined to continue climbing mountains like this (literally and figuratively) in my recovery.”
With great progress have come even greater challenges, which Bryant detailed in an April update.
“My positivity has carried me this far and I don’t want to lose it, but I’m going to be more transparent about the invisible difficulties,” she wrote.
‘The phrase “I wish I had missing limbs instead of a damaged brain” has appeared in my diary more than once. Consciously losing your mind is terrible.’
Bryant has retained most of his long-term memories, but recent years are marked by gaps. He cannot remember the fateful trip to Europe that left him in a coma, nor the following year.
“My brain doesn’t auto-save anymore, so I use notes for everything,” he explained. ‘My attention is fleeting, so I often lose track of what I’m doing. I rely strictly on the clock because my innate sense of time is quite poor.’
Woloshen only discovered the heartbreaking truth after stumbling upon a GoFundMe page.
The couple has continued to rebuild their life together, with Woloshen by Bryant’s side every step of his recovery.
Woloshen quickly discovered that the accident had left Bryant with no memory of the first time they met.
Frustration over his persistent brain fog often manifests itself in his motor function, Bryant explained.
‘My foot starts to drag, my fingers curl, my hand shakes or I lean to one side. Sometimes my brain can be so fried that I become illogical and have a hard time connecting cause with effect. Brain injury permeates my entire life.’
He continues to focus on his recovery through psychotherapy, memory exercises, meditation and other treatments.
Goals on the horizon include relearning how to write, run and swim. Above all, Bryant refuses to give up hope.
“I have always believed that a person’s mindset is very powerful and my recovery has reinforced that belief,” he said.
The GoFundMe Campaign has raised more than $150,000 of its $200,000 goal.
