THIS time final yr Mexico’s Alejandra Ayala was on her means again to Tijuana having had a keep in Glasgow, Scotland inconveniently (and for some time unknowingly) prolonged.
Eager to get dwelling, however keener nonetheless to stay alive, Ayala fought Hannah Rankin on Could 13, after which, following a bleed on the mind, discovered herself having to combat a far better opponent within the subsequent hours, days, and weeks.
That combat, as is usually the case, has now been extended. Now not merely hours, days, and weeks, it’s a combat that has stretched to months and shortly it will likely be years. Nonetheless, although, Ayala, a lady enlightened and enlivened for having cheated dying, manages to power a smile.
“I’m fairly glad,” she instructed Boxing Information from her dwelling in Tijuana. “Ever since coming again and having this second alternative in life, I’ve been glad on the whole. Even with all of the sometimes-stressful issues which are taking place, I nonetheless really feel very blessed.
“I’m glad to be with my husband, my household, and my canine. I’ve been again in my gymnasium, too. Not every single day and just for a restricted time, however doing that additionally makes me very glad.”
One suspects it takes so much to get Ayala down. The 34-year-old’s capability to recall particulars, names and locations could have taken successful on account of what occurred to her final yr, but her grasp on perspective and her potential to give attention to what’s necessary in life has solely elevated.
“I’ve been doing a whole lot of remedy for speaking,” she stated. “My first language has been English since I used to be 5 years previous, so my potential to talk English has improved rapidly. However my Spanish isn’t what it was. I’m nonetheless engaged on that. They reckon perhaps six extra months on that, which is nice as a result of initially they stated it will take two years.
“Earlier than the incident I had a YouTube channel the place I might speak in regards to the fights and analyse them however I haven’t been in a position to try this once more as a result of it’s tough for me to recollect names. Names have been essentially the most tough factor for me to recollect. I’ll know in my head who I’m speaking about, however I gained’t be capable of say their identify.”
Ayala holds up her copy of Boxing Information
To hearken to her converse, you’d by no means know Ayala had endured a lot 12 months in the past in another country. Nevertheless, it’s after all simple, when listening to her converse over the telephone, and along with her so distant, to trick your self into believing every thing is rosy and again to regular. The reality is, it’s day-to-day that Ayala’s life, notably in current occasions, turns into a check and is nowhere close to as simple as she makes it sound.
“Once I left Glasgow, I used to be instructed I didn’t have something inside my head that will trigger the epileptic spasms I’ve been struggling not too long ago,” she defined. “I didn’t have one till round September of final yr. Principally, I simply obtained actually dizzy and began listening to issues. However I didn’t fall over. So I contacted my neurologist over right here and we did a whole lot of research.
“Simply final month I then had one other match and this time I did fall over. I used to be having lunch with my husband, which was good, however that had by no means occurred to me earlier than and so we had been all fairly scared. We went to the physician and he gave me research. We contacted the physician I had in Glasgow and he stated it’s not frequent however generally it occurs. Proper now, I’m working with the physician, who has given me some medicine, however I’ve been instructed this might be a difficulty for 2 to a few years.
“The issue is, we reside alone. My household doesn’t reside in Tijuana with me. My husband’s mum and brother reside right here however not with us. So, when he’s working and I’m alone, that’s an issue. The opposite downside, too, is that I wished to return to work, no less than just a little bit, however now it seems to be prefer it’s going to be six extra months earlier than I can do this.”
In addition to being unable to work, Ayala, regardless of enhancing bodily, has not been in a position to practice as she would love. “I couldn’t practice,” she stated, “due to all the pinnacle motion concerned and I additionally couldn’t run due to the pinnacle motion concerned. I may solely do fundamental exercises. For some time my head would damage just a little bit so I would want to sit down down and provides myself time to relaxation.”
Cautious of each complications and pointless pressure utilized to that space, Ayala is simply too conscious that a difficulty with the British Boxing Board of Management (BBBC) hardly helps such issues. Nevertheless, since leaving Glasgow final June she has tried, thus far with out success, to obtain from the Board some insurance coverage cash solely to expertise frustration, in addition to the sensation of being forgotten.
“Throughout that point in Glasgow the individuals who had been serving to me out instructed me that when I left the nation the BBBC wouldn’t care about me,” Ayala stated. “I’ve not been in touch with the BBBC since, however my dad has. Now that I’m able to learn and comprehend, he has despatched me among the messages, and, principally, after we got here again, they stated they might go and look into it. Then, perhaps six months in, my dad contacted them to ask what was occurring. They requested us to ship all of them the research I had had accomplished so my dad despatched them. We waited just a little longer after which they despatched us not offended messages however messages that primarily stated to us, ‘After we know, we’ll let you understand. Cease messaging us.’
“They instructed us that if I had handed away, it will have been simpler for them to ship the cash, which was 50,000 kilos. However as a result of I survived and since I’m doing nicely, it will likely be even much less. For me, that hurts just a little bit. If that’s their best, that’s not good.
“After a yr, my dad messaged them once more and so they once more requested us to report again how I used to be doing. He despatched them particulars of the spasm I suffered in Could and so they stated that in six weeks they might tell us.”
In the interim, then, Ayala can do not more than wait.
“The BBBC head workplace has been in common communication with Alejandra’s father, Vince, and suggested of the insurance coverage course of, which sadly takes time,” stated Robert Smith, the Board’s Normal Secretary, in an e-mail to Boxing Information on Monday (June 26). “Mr Ayala has been knowledgeable that the Board’s insurance coverage firm is contemplating all medical documentation together with their medical marketing consultant with regard to the potential of an insurance coverage declare and we’re awaiting a choice to see if she is roofed with the kind of accidents obtained. That is regular process.
“We perceive Alejandra just isn’t insured by her dwelling fee.”
Because the wait goes on, after all, so the payments pile up.
“I’ve in all probability spent round 30,000 {dollars} thus far on my restoration,” Ayala revealed. “We don’t have the very best neurologists and therapists in Tijuana, so I’ve to go to Mexico Metropolis for that. I can’t fly alone, so my husband has to fly with me, and he has to take time without work work to do it. He’s a policeman, which suggests it’s tough for him to try this. I believed I might be again working by now – perhaps performing some matchmaking, or working with the fee – however due to the epileptic suits I gained’t be capable of do this for some time.
“I now don’t know what to do. I’m feeling pissed off. I’m not even asking for lots. If they may simply assist me out a bit, it will imply a lot. I simply need to repay my money owed and proceed getting higher.”
As for the idea of a boxer and their household receiving compensation within the occasion of dying, Ayala greets it with fun. She does so as a result of to chortle is preferable to crying. “If I had handed away in Glasgow,” she stated, “my mother and father wouldn’t care about receiving any cash.”
Ayala within the gymnasium
