Blind Side star Quinton Aaron says he will ‘walk again’ after being left paralyzed from spinal stroke eight months earlier: ‘It’s been a journey’
Quinton Aaron promised that he will ‘walk again’ after being left paralyzed ‘from the waist down’ after suffering a spinal stroke in January.
The 42-year-old star, who is known for appearing alongside Sandra Bullock in the 2009 film The Blind Side, gave an update on his health journey during an interview with Us Weekly published on Wednesday.
His family issued a statement to the Daily Mail at the time of his hospitalization to state he was ‘alert, aware and recovering’ after a GoFundMe that was set up said he had been ‘critically ill.’
One night in January of this year, Aaron recalled going to bed with severe back pain and when he woke up, he had lost movement and feeling in his legs.
When he was at the hospital, he fell into a coma and went into cardiac arrest. The actor was resuscitated more than once, and he told the outlet that during one instance when he coded, he ‘saw Jesus.’
Aaron is now at a rehab facility where he is recovering and ‘getting some strength back.’
Quinton Aaron, 42, promised that he will ‘walk again’ after being left paralyzed ‘from the waist down’ after suffering a spinal stroke in January; seen in 2009 in NYC
When he was at the hospital, he fell into a coma and went into cardiac arrest. The actor was resuscitated more than once, and he told the outlet that during one instance when he coded, he ‘saw Jesus’
‘It’s been a journey, but I feel good,’ he told Us Weekly, before adding that he has slowly been getting his voice back.
He is also ‘doing a lot of strength training to get to the point where I can support my weight through my arms and in the upper body and core.’
Aaron explained that he can ‘feel when people touch my legs all the way up and down [and to] my stomach,’ although he still cannot ‘register pain.’
The star recalled a recent instance when he was lying down and watching a movie. When something on the screen made him jump, his leg also moved.
‘I sent a video to [my rep], and she started crying. I was like, “I told you, I’m gonna walk again.”‘
Aaron said that he is sticking with a positive mindset about being able to walk again in the future.
Due to the movement in his legs, The First Miracle actor expressed that doctors ‘said there is a possibility of recovery because you can move some of your joints and you can feel. So that is very good.’
Leading up to the health incident, Aaron stated that an infection ‘traveled through my bloodstream into my spinal cord and lungs, which caused the stroke.’
‘It’s been a journey, but I feel good,’ he told Us Weekly, before adding that he has slowly been getting his voice back; seen above in The Blind Side (2009) with Bullock
‘I sent a video to [my rep], and she started crying. I was like, “I told you, I’m gonna walk again,”‘ he explained
The star told the outlet that his faith is aiding in his recovery and motivational mindset.
‘I keep telling everyone that not only am I going to walk again but I’m going to run and swim and do all the things I used to. I’m gonna build myself back up better than before.’
Aaron also reflected that, ‘It’s a miracle I’m still here,’ while adding that he does not take his ‘second chance’ for granted.
The actor married Margarita DeLeon in 2024, but while hospitalized this year, it was claimed that she was still legally married to another man.
‘Quinton was asked, now that he’s awake, aware, interacting and recovering, by multiple people – some of which included hospital staff – if he wanted to see’ Margarita, a source told the Daily Mail at the time.
‘He said, “Absolutely not; I don’t want to see her, I don’t want her in here.”‘
The insider added that Aaron felt DeLeon deceived him about her marital status, but she alleged to the Daily Mail that information provided by the family source about her legal status, as well as his health, had not been accurate.
Aaron claimed to Us Weekly that he and DeLeon have not spoken since he was taken to the hospital, and their marriage was voided ‘because we weren’t legally married.’
Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Aaron for comment, but has yet to hear back.
Leading up to the health incident, Aaron stated that an infection ‘traveled through my bloodstream into my spinal cord and lungs, which caused the stroke’; seen with Bullock in 2010
The star told the outlet that his faith is aiding in his recovery and motivational mindset
Back in late January, news broke that Aaron was ‘on life support due to a severe blood infection,’ according to a GoFundMe set up to help cover his medical bills and his family’s expenses.
Speaking to the Daily Mail at that time, Aaron’s manager Katrina Fristoe said he was ‘receiving excellent medical care’ and was with family.
His family issued their own statement to the Daily Mail, saying: ‘We acknowledge that you’ve heard about Quinton Aaron’s condition.
‘We appreciate the overwhelming love, support and prayers that Quinton has received over the past few days from his fans, the public, and our concerned community.’
They specified that Aaron had suffered a ‘spinal stroke’ and noted the positive development that he was ‘alert, aware and recovering.’
The family noted they had ‘a lot to deal with for the betterment of their loved one, but will be sure to keep everyone posted regarding Quinton’s health as we see fit.’
Back in February, a GoFundMe page was set up by a manager and family spokesperson to help raise funds for his rehabilitation.
The manager explained that Aaron is ‘participating in physical therapy and occupational therapy.’
Aaron, who revealed his stunning 200lb weight loss last year, is known for playing former NFL star Michael Oher in The Blind Side, whose high school and college football career was chronicled in Michael Lewis’s popular book of the same name.
The actor married Margarita DeLeon in 2024, but while hospitalized this year, it was claimed that she was still legally married to another man
Speaking to the Daily Mail at that time, Aaron’s manager Katrina Fristoe said he was ‘receiving excellent medical care’ and was with family
Fans of Oher and the film about his remarkable success story were shocked in 2023, when he filed a lawsuit claiming that Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy had not adopted him but had instead created a conservatorship that awarded their family millions from the success of The Blind Side film, even though Oher was allegedly paid nothing for the movie.
The Left Behind actor had also battled a serious upper respiratory infection in 2019.
In October of last year, Aaron announced that he was feeling ‘overwhelmed and blessed’ after shedding an incredible 200 pounds.
The 6ft8in actor said he was down to 375 pounds, after once weighing in at 575 pounds in 2012.
The Blind Side star said seeing the extreme number on the scale helped him realize that he was eating himself ‘into an early grave.’
At the time of his weight-loss announcement, Aaron said he only had 55 pounds left to lose before reaching his goal weight of 320 pounds, which would put him at ‘the same weight I was when I was 14 playing football in high school.’
According to the film and television actor, he began taking the popular weight-loss drug Ozempic in 2024, but he was forced to discontinue it after he suffered an allergic reaction to the injectable medication.
Back in February, a GoFundMe page was set up by a manager and family spokesperson to help raise funds for his rehabilitation
In October of last year, Aaron announced that he was feeling ‘overwhelmed and blessed’ after shedding an incredible 200 pounds
After he had to go off the medication, Aaron instead turned to intermittent fasting to help him slim down.
In 2023, Aaron revealed to the American Heart Association that he had been previously diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
And in 2021, he was diagnosed with diabetes, which inspired him to kickstart his health journey.
Aaron has plans to eventually step back into the film industry, is working on a book titled The Blind Side Of Love and will also launch his own podcast called Podcast 2.0.