In 2013, while out for a routine cycle, Geraldine Lavelle’s life changed in an instant when she was involved in an horrific road accident. The Castlebar woman suffered a spinal cord injury that left three-quarters of her body paralysed. Overnight, Geraldine had to adapt from being an independent, physically-active young woman to a new world where she required assistance to perform the most basic tasks.

Weathering The Storm is Geraldine’s honest and inspirational account of her journey over the last nine years – from those dark, bleak early days when she struggled to accept the cruel fate visited upon her to her emergence as a powerful and articulate voice for people with disabilities in Ireland. This is a story of resilience, a story of a courageous young woman’s determination to survive the harshest of life’s storms. Castlebar native Geraldine Lavelle holds a Bachelor of Science and a Masters in Neuroscience from NUI Galway. Since acquiring her disability, she has worked at Abbott Diagnostics, lectured in health science and physiology at IT Sligo and qualified as a special needs assistant. She is also a passionate advocate for people living with disabilities and has contributed regular articles to the Western People, Sligo Champion and several national media outlets.