‘Love Wins’: Diving Accident That Left Man Paralyzed Also Led Him to the Love of His Life

Courtesy of Hanna and Jerod Nieder

Disclaimer: This article was published in 2023. Some information may no longer be current.

While a spinal cord injury left Jerod Nieder paralyzed and without feeling from the chest down and changed his life forever, he also met his soulmate during his rehabilitation. The couple has now become an advocacy powerhouse for the paralyzed community.

Jerod, 40, lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife, Hanna Nieder. Hanna was born on an Army base in Seoul, Korea, and now works as a peer mentor for the foundation that supports her husband. Jerod is a research participant and advocate. The couple also offers online consultation via their website, PositivelyParalyzed.org.

In 2011, Jerod was 29 years old when he sustained a spinal cord injury while on vacation with his family in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

Hanna and Jerod got married in Kentucky on Dec. 18, 2021—the 10th anniversary of Jerod’s accident. Courtesy of Hanna and Jerod Nieder

The couple, who met each other for the first time in August 2018, say they believe in staying positive and spreading love. Courtesy of Hanna and Jerod Nieder

‘My Injury Was Unacceptable’

“I just went running down the beach and I dove into the surf,” Jerod told The Epoch Times.

“Unbeknownst to me, there were rocks or a sandbar underneath. I never lost consciousness, but I couldn’t move anything at that point. Luckily, I was able to hold my breath until my brother pulled me up to the beach.”

The impact had shattered Jerod’s C5 vertebra in his neck, paralyzing him immediately. He had his head injury stitched up at Playa Del Carmen before being rushed to Cancun for a cervical fusion, a crucial procedure that had to be undertaken in the first 72 hours.

Jerod Nieder with his parents. Courtesy of Hanna and Jerod Nieder