Woman’s Weekly New Zealand – August 05, 2019

a coma

ed

eftside,

ered

going

sis

old

itive

mpic

d been

st she

goala

nlyno

stand

nenight

h an

n the

getout

ngster

hefloor,

mother

h.

t thing

coming

oma

s

ere,”

rsty

o had

d twice

during emergency brain surgery.

She was told an arteriovenous

malformation (AVM) had burst

within her brain and surgeons

had to abort the operation to

save her life.

“I had what I believe was a

near-death experience. And

when I woke, I remember

having this amazing sense that

my life was perfect the way it

was and everything would be

okay,” recalls the professional

speaker and author, who has

drawn on her survival story for

her book A Life by Design

and a series of podcasts.

The prognosis indicated

Kirsty would probably regain

some feeling and movement,

but might not live a “regular”

life again. She’d have to giveup

sport, including gymnastics,and

would likely need ongoing help

with daily tasks.

But the

doctors didn’t

take into

account the

young girl’s

penchant for

pushing the

Right: The young teen

being prepped for

stereotactic radiation

therapy at London’s

Royal Marsden

Hospital.

p

d

akingfroma

andparalys

downherle

KirstySalisburywhisp

a vowthatshe wasn’t

tolether medicalcris

everlimither.

Thethen-12-year-o

hadbeena compet

gymnastwithOlym

dreams.Therehad

nothingtosugges

couldn’tmakeher

reality– andcertain

healthproblemsto

in herway– untilon

whenshewokewit

excruciatingpaini

sideof her head.

Attemptingto

ofbed,theyoun

collapsedonth

wakingherm

withthecras

“The next

Iknow,I’m

outofaco

withtube

everywhe

recalls Ki

(41),who

flatlined

THEY’RE YOUR STORIES

PEOPLE

S,

TTEEEETTTT

I DEFEATED

... and now I

embrace life

TWICE

DEATH