Heather Hardy put all the things she had into combating. Now she’s paying the value for it.
Regardless of being a comparatively small and unassuming lady out of Gerritsen Seaside, Brooklyn, ‘The Warmth’ was one among boxing’s most fierce females. Whereas some MMA followers could keep in mind her run below the Bellator banner, it was contained in the squared circle the place she actually shined, constructing a powerful 24-3 report and capturing the WBC world featherweight championship.
Sadly, Heather Hardy’s profession got here to a crashing halt in August 2023 after going 10 rounds with former undisputed light-welterweight queen Amanda Serrano. Instantly following their combat, Hardy knew that one thing was severely unsuitable.
“My imaginative and prescient was cut up, and double, and bloody,” Hardy stated in an interview with Hamilton Nolan. “Generally that occurs after sparring, you get a headache, however now it had lasted two days. So I went for the MRI, as a result of fighters know that’s if you go to the physician. You may have medical insurance for 30 days [after a fight]. So I went, I obtained my MRI, I went to the attention physician. That’s after they instructed me that I can’t get hit within the head, ever.
“There was swelling, possible across the optic nerve. There’s numerous analysis that was performed with fighters who’ve misplaced their sight, and the issues that occur with these sort of traumas, mixed with a number of concussions. They defined that each time you get a concussion, a chunk of your mind dies, and also you simply go on dwelling with out it. And I’ve had an excessive amount of lifeless mind.”
Earlier than getting the analysis that may finish her profession immediately, Heather Hardy had deliberate on competing in three totally different sports activities in 2024, together with a bare-knuckle combat and a possible blended martial arts bout with Serrano.
“By February of 2024 I had determined I wanted to do that naked knuckle combat,” Hardy continued. “And by April 11, I had the analysis that I might by no means get hit within the head once more. And it wasn’t till September that I obtained medical insurance and obtained my very own MRI. As a result of for all that point, the fee was simply sending me to the attention physician. And that physician was so good, however he saved saying, ‘It’s not your eyes, it’s your mind.’ They had been slapping glasses on my face.
“Let me inform you, CTE is an actual factor. TBIs, traumatic mind accidents, are an actual factor. I used to be leaving messages, asking for a therapist. As a result of I saved saying, if you consider CTE and folks getting actually offended—like Aaron Hernandez killed these folks. He additionally killed himself. , you get very offended, after which very unhappy. I saved on saying that I used to be the First Girl of Brooklyn boxing. I’m the First Girl of mind harm.
“Take a look at me, examine me, assist me! Like, do one thing for me. That they had wished to ship me to some Cleveland Clinic in Vegas, the place they weren’t even going to assist me. They only wished to take notes. And it simply felt like, am I even an individual? Is that this actual life?
Hardy acquired no assist from the Affiliation of Boxing Commissions, leaving her little choice for medical therapy. Fortuitously, she was capable of get assist via NYU Langone, one of many nation’s premier educational medical facilities.
“Once I obtained harm, I wasn’t getting any assist from the boxing fee,” Hardy stated. “As a result of I didn’t have medical insurance, I didn’t get the MRI. I wasn’t conscious that each one I wanted to do was pay $1,200 and I might have gotten it. NYU Langone saved my life. They gave me an MRI, they gave me a therapist, they gave me an everyday physician, they gave me an OB-GYN.
“They’re gonna assist me file for incapacity. I can’t work. I can’t focus. I’ve to smoke [weed] simply to sort of chill out my face. I’ve no peripheral imaginative and prescient. I’ve severe PTSD. And having no peripheral imaginative and prescient, in the event you can think about, it’s my mind, not my eyes. So my mind didn’t perceive that I couldn’t see anymore.”
Hardy revealed that she was ultimately labeled as disabled, noting that she will be able to’t be exterior for quite a lot of hours every day earlier than it impacts her imaginative and prescient — an affliction that makes it very tough for her to proceed coaching the following technology of expertise at Gleason’s Fitness center in Brooklyn the place she initially lower her tooth.
“Bodily, the outcomes of the mind damage, I’ve an official letter of incapacity from a number of medical doctors,” she stated. “As a result of between the PTSD, I can’t even start to inform you the bodily stuff—I’m in dangerous form. However I’ll say I’m in a protected place. So I’m feeling okay. I’m on the mend. I’ve about 4 exterior hours a day earlier than my eyes harm.
“The one time I am going exterior is to show my women. I come to Gleason’s. It’s like a psychological well being verify… it’s onerous for me to carry pads, however all of my women have sort of huddled round to verify mother can get via 4 hours of labor.”
Heather Hardy Wouldn’t change a rattling factor
Requested what she believes the game of boxing might do to stop extra fighters from ending up in her place, Heather Hardy had a tough time developing with a solution.
The one factor she is aware of for positive is that no one ought to must undergo the ache and struggling that she has and continues to expertise each day.
“I don’t know what I deserve,” Hardy admitted. “Lots of people, you understand, you don’t get your flowers till you’re lifeless. I’m superb with that. My daughter can be on the service someday. I do know what I did. I don’t know what the game of boxing might have performed totally different, however I do know that the First Girl of Brooklyn boxing, the First Girl of DiBella Leisure, by no means ought to have spent 2024 the way in which I did.”
As for whether or not or not she would do it over again, Hardy didn’t hesitate to reply that query.
“Everyone requested me, ‘Would you do it once more?’ I might not do a single factor totally different,” Hardy stated. “As a result of no one ever did it earlier than. So who the f*ck is gonna inform me I did it unsuitable, or I ought to have did it one other approach? No one did the sh*t I did. They stated, ‘No Heather, you may’t do it.’ I stated, ‘Bought it. I can’t do it? Let me present you ways I can.’
“I received a world f*cking title on HBO. What? I’m just a little seashore rat. If I can do this, I can f*cking do something.”
