Rafi Solaiman was just 12-years-old when he suffered from a stroke and brain hemorrhage.
The boy, who was once incredibly active and athletic, suddenly collapsed out of nowhere in his home.
Rafi’s family was terrified that he wouldn’t make it. Doctors discovered that he had a tangle of blood vessels in his brain since birth that could have popped at any time.
Eventually, he was diagnosed with “locked-in syndrome” where his entire body was paralyzed.
He couldn’t walk, talk or blink.
So, he was basically trapped inside his body and wasn’t able to communicate.
Not only was his family devastated by Rafi’s new physical challenges but also by his mental challenges.
The boy’s brain injury caused him to accuse his mother of being an “imposter” and become abusive with hospital staff.
“It was really upsetting. I felt like I didn’t know my own son,” Rafi’s mother, Jackie, told The Sun.
But, thankfully, there was hope for Rafi.
He was able to learn how to walk, talk and blink again.
And he also learned how to model. He was spotted by Zebedee Management who eventually signed him.
Oh, yeah and on top of that, he also became a runner. He was slated to represent his country at the CPISRA World Championships in Barcelona.
He was ranked third in the world at the 100m.
“I never thought I’d do this much really. I thought it’d take a lot longer than it has [to recover]. I’m pretty shocked to be honest,” Rafi told Barcroft.
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“I think I’m quite driven to do things and I think that’s partly what has made me improve me so much.”
Rafi says his stroke has made him a stronger and helped him to grow as a person.
“I think it’s affected my confidence in a positive way actually because I was quite a shy little 12-year-old back then and I’m 18 now and I’m quite a confident young chap,” he said.
Jackie said her son has also become more loving after going through such a trying time.
“Rafi has already met a new girlfriend through his modeling work; he’s a beautiful looking boy,” she said. “This is not, of course, the life we had planned for him – but that’s not to say he isn’t happy and fulfilled with a great future ahead of him.”
Learn more about Rafi’s story in the video before.
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