Alex Cracknell
Caring

Sophie Delezio reveals "major curveball" in touching health update

Sophie Delezio, the remarkable young woman who captured the hearts of Australians with her resilience after enduring two traumatic car accidents before the age of five, recently made a heartwarming return to social media.

In a post on Instagram, Sophie shared the news of her recent move to a new house following yet another surgery. She apologised for her recent absence, explaining that she had to undergo surgery to ensure she could walk down the aisle next year. Amidst all the chaos, she and her fiance, Joseph Salerno (23), also managed to move house during her recovery.

"Oh hi! I am back!" wrote Sophie. "Sorry for my radio silence lately... Life threw me a major curveball and I had to undergo surgery in order for me to walk down the aisle next year!! Plus, in the midst of all that chaos, we moved house right in the middle of my recovery! I'm all settled now and on the mend but so ready to catch up with all of you! Thank you all for your patience and support! I’m excited to be back 🤍

"Ps. Huge shoutout to the most amazing fiancé. I couldn’t have gone through this without you 🤍"

Sophie Delezio, now 22 years old, faced a horrific accident in 2003 at the tender age of two. She suffered burns over 85 percent of her body when a burning car crashed into her childcare centre in Sydney, leaving her with the loss of both feet, some fingers and her right ear.

A few years later, at the age of five, Sophie experienced a second car accident. While being pushed across a pedestrian crossing by her nanny near their Northern Beaches home in 2006, she was struck by a car. This devastating incident propelled her 18 metres from her wheelchair and resulted in a heart attack. Additionally, she sustained severe injuries, including a broken jaw, broken collarbone, nine broken ribs, punctured lungs, two fractured vertebrae and a brain injury.

Now, 17 years later, Sophie is preparing to marry her childhood sweetheart, Joseph Salerno. Their engagement was announced earlier this year in an exclusive interview with Australian Women's Weekly. The couple had been close friends since high school, and their transition from friendship to romance began after Sophie returned to Sydney from studying at a London university in 2020.

Joseph proposed to Sophie in their apartment with a scrapbook that chronicled their journey together. The final page of the scrapbook featured a photo of an engagement ring, and Joseph, dropping to one knee, asked, "Would you be my baby?" To which, Sophie happily ticked the "Yes" box on the back of the scrapbook.

The couple is set to tie the knot next October in the picturesque Hunter Valley, marking a beautiful chapter in Sophie Delezio's extraordinary life journey.

Images: Instagram

Tags:
Sophie Delezio