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Welcome back readers, to yet another addition of The Scoop, bringing you the best of the best information about your favorite stars...
Tragedy strikes the Durand Family
Our first two stories? Well, perhaps they both have a little something to do with triumph. As many of you may know, Valero Durand has recently been dealing with a divorce from his long- time partner, ending the streak of one of fashion's power couples. The news came as a jarring reminder to most, that perhaps love doesn't last forever. But the smaller known story, very well brushed under the rug for the last couple of years for better or for worse, (not a marriage pun!) is that of a tragic accident his eldest daughter, Tonya Durand (Phoberos ) endured that altered her own life and also her family's forever. We sat down with Tonya, who was finally ready and willing to share her story.
The first thing that Tonya described to us regarding her accident was a love for Ice Hockey, which apparently she was very successful at along with her friends. " I started playing at a very young age and I was rather successful. By the time I was nineteen I was so good I even had the chance to do it for a living, my whole team was really good." she shared, mentioning that she had some interest in going pro. It was an unfortunate event that ended that career goal for her, however.
"At some point I was going after another player, fast, we were rushing, and one of my skates just snapped. The sound was rather ugly, sharp click that just sounded wrong, then a lot of dizziness and then nothing. I had checked my equipment like I always do, it was all good, no cracks, no lose screws. It was just... really bad luck. Next thing I remember is waking up in hospital with a searing headache."
It turned out to be worse than just a dose of bad luck, but more of a twisted fate, as doctors would later confirm that Tonya suffered from a cracked skull, and three snapped vertebrae, one of which would never be fixed, resulting in paralysis from the waist down. Ultimately ending Tonya's bout with her love for ice hockey, for good...
"After the hospital I entered a rehabilitation program, they taught me how to deal with all this. It was hard in the beginning, not going to lie. Going from ice-hockey training every day to never taking another step is... it takes time. Your ability to walk is not something you really think about losing. You only realize how much gets in your way when you cannot walk up a simple step anymore. Everything in this world is made for standing and walking people, the simplest of things are. Taking a shower, opening a window, making a cup of tea, you never think about those things being a challenge all of a sudden."
We got into touch with Valero to speak upon the matter, remembering that serious day, where he says, he felt as if he may lose his daughter forever.
"Walking into that hospital to news like that...is any parent's nightmare. I just remember thinking that I had to get to her as soon as possible and let her know how much she meant to me, just in case it was the last time. We've been blessed to have Tonya stay with us for a while longer, and I wanted to give her the space to recount this when she felt comfortable. To date - she's the stronger woman I've ever known."
