Curling star Brooklyn Aleksic paralyzed from neck down as rare disease shatters her athletic future

A bright young curler and University of Victoria student, Brooklyn Aleksic, suddenly awoke unable to move her body one June morning. In just two hours, she lost use of her neck and limbs.

Now facing life “paralyzed from the neck down,” she and her family have launched a fundraising campaign as they begin an uncertain path toward treatment and recovery.

Brooklyn Aleksic’s rapid battle with Transverse Myelitis

On a summer morning in early June 2025, 20‑year‑old Brooklyn Aleksic woke up ready for her job in Saskatchewan but instead, within hours, she was completely paralyzed from the neck down. Diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, a rare spinal cord inflammation, the condition is typically sudden and severe.

Her mother, Shannon Joanisse, told CTV News that “within two hours of waking up … she was completely paralyzed from her neck down.

”

Aleksic is well known in Canada’s curling community. A top student at UVic and a featured athlete in the 2024 documentary Curl Power, she had a full summer planned before this crisis. Retired curler Diane Dezura, now organizing the GoFundMe, called Brooklyn’s condition “rapid and severe,” noting she can no longer sit up, move her legs, or care for herself.

Brooklyn Aleksic’s fundraiser launched as family braces for a long and costly recovery

The GoFundMe campaign, organized by Dezura on behalf of Shannon Joanisse, reports that extensive rehabilitation, equipment, and 24/7 care will be required. It warns: “The damage to her spinal cord is extensive … her path will be long, uncertain and expensive.” Brooklyn is receiving plasma exchange treatments in hopes of reversing the damage, “at the end of this week, she will have had 14 plasma exchanges.”Also Read: Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr Deal Worth $700 Million Sets Dangerous New Bar In Sports SalariesHer mother describes Brooklyn as “a ray of light,” bright, positive, and academically driven . Despite losing her physical abilities, she continues to smile and joke, inspiring many around her. The funds will support medical transfers to Vancouver, rehabilitation, adaptive equipment, and home modifications.Brooklyn was once a rising star in curling and had plans to work at a golf course this summer. Now, she is fighting a tough medical battle. Her condition highlights how quickly health can change and how essential community support is.