'Married at First Sight' alum Nick Pendergrast reveals severe accident left him partially paralyzed
Married at First Sight alum Nick Pendergrast has revealed a work accident left him partially paralyzed and battling for his life.
Nick, who starred on Season 4 of Married at First Sight, shared on Instagram earlier this week that a "severe accident" in January "while on the job" has drastically impacted his life.
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Nick worked as a vacation rental manager during his time on Married at First Sight in 2016, and his Instagram currently says he's an entrepreneur, realtor and "AirBnB Superhost."
"It's been a life changing and devastating 2019. I knew for myself I needed to be in a better mental state to share what happened to me in January. I don't really know if I am truly ready to open up about all of it in fear of how it will be received," Nick captioned a series of photos and videos of his rehabilitation in the hospital.
"What I am sure of, I need all the support I can get right now to make it through this. These pictures were taken so that if I survived, I could see how far I have come to give me hope for the future."
Nick recalled of the "unfortunate" accident, "When [my girlfriend Heather Yerrid] arrived to the ER, she was told they didn't know if I was going to make it through the night. January 22nd, I was found submerged in water for hours, with severe hypothermia, multiple pelvic fractures, severely comminuted sacral fractures, Morel-Lavallee, and more."
"It's been 6 and a half months and I finally feel like I've gotten a straight answer about what the future may hold. The nerve damage caused by the blunt trauma has left me partially paralyzed."
Nick continued in his post, "Up until 2019, I had never met anyone in a wheelchair or knew of anyone in my circle that had experienced this type of thing. I had to relocate to a place that had the best doctors to save my life, and the best environment to regain any functionality in my lower body. The past 6 months have been lonely, depressing, scary, stressful, and difficult."
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Nick said his goal was to learn how to become independent again, although he'd remain disabled.
"I have the support of my family. Heather brings one child at a time to see me since she can't yet travel with two," Nick wrote, referencing the couple's 19-month-old twins Logan and Layla.
"I am fighting every day to stay sane, motivated, and in high spirits. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. I have gained empathy, compassion, and gratitude through this and hope to gain more. If nothing else, I just want to be able to walk again."
Nick then asked to hear from people who have experienced a similar hardship.
"If anyone... [was] told they will never walk again and did, I would love to hear from you. Even if you were told you'd never walk again and didn't, I would love to hear how you have coped and moved forward. I am asking for your prayers, love, and hope through this difficult journey," Nick concluded.
Nick was shown tying the knot with a complete stranger, Sonia Granados, on Season 4 of Married at First Sight, which premiered in July 2016.
Although the pair were very fond of each other at the time of filming, their relationship wasn't without its share of challenges and frustration.
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For instance, Nick had once lost Sonia's trust by telling her that he wasn't attracted to her after having sex, which prompted her to move out after a blowout fight. Sonia also had a fear of dogs when Nick was crazy about the dog he owned.
Nick and Sonia decided to stay together on "Decision Day" following the extreme six-week experiment, but they separated in January 2017 and announced their decision to file for divorce in March of that year.
"We are sad to share that after almost a year of marriage we have decided to separate and file for divorce," the couple said in a joint Twitter statement at the time.
"Thank you in advance for your love and support through this difficult time! We look forward to growing and continuing to learn about ourselves from what we still consider to be a meaningful experience with MAFS."
Sonia added that viewers should not "be discouraged" because of their split since a sweet "love story" still unfolded.
Nick then moved on with Heather and announced they were expecting twins in July 2017, just three months after his divorce from Sonia was finalized.
He and Heather welcomed their babies in February 2018.
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