Woman thought man was 'ghosting' her but it soon became a story straight out of '50 First Dates'

Some relationships are so strong that they effortlessly stand the test of time. It may have been just a few weeks spent together, but when the personalities match and the understanding is deeper, no tragedy can separate two people meant for each other. That was the case for Cody Bryant and his girlfriend Haley Woloshen. When Woloshen was sure that Bryant was ghosting her after going out for a few weeks in 2022, she learned that there was a tragic story behind Bryant's no-show. What happened next was straight out of "50 First Dates," and the internet is in awe.

In a heartwarming TikTok video, Bryant shared his and Woloshen's "insane dating story." Turns out, Bryant hadn't "ghosted," Woloshen after all. He was in a coma. The couple's story started when they met in Hawaii in 2022 and learned that they were both LA dwellers living just a mile away from each other. "We hung out for a few weeks, then I 'ghosted,' her," the text overlay read. But the truth was, Bryant met with an accident while driving a moped through Ibiza, Spain, as per his GoFundMe campaign page. This accident caused him a brain injury that put him in a coma along with a fractured femur. 

One day, Woloshen bumped into the GoFundMe page raising money for Bryant's treatment. So, when Bryant was flown back to the U.S. where his rehabilitation therapies began, Woloshen reconnected with him and started, "helping out platonically," for instance, clipping his toenails. But there was a twist, Bryant's brain injury messed up his memories before his accident and he couldn't recall his connection with Woloshen. "Neither of us expected it but feelings started to build," Bryant pointed out. "I joke that she won me over a second time," he added. The couple is navigating their boundaries, working on the challenges of caregiving and building a "strong foundation," for over a year now. 

Bryant captioned the video, "50 First Dates or make our own movie?" This beautiful story garnered huge love and adoration from the internet. "I feel like this is going to be used in a lot of girl groups when he randomly ghosts. 'You all maybe he’s in a coma!' So happy for you two," joked @kellyrae110. "This made me tear up! What’s meant to be will always find a way!" said @mandymw88. "Nothing can stop what’s meant to be. So happy you found each other in such an unfair world," added @user9266913855541. 

Despite the life-changing injuries caused by the accident, Bryant is determined to get back to his old self. He consistently accounts his recovery journey on social media and it's surely an inspiring one. "Brain injuries are life-altering in every way, but I’m determined to find the good," he mentioned in the caption of the video giving us glimpses of his strong-willed recovery.  

Updating his situation on the GoFundMe page, Bryant mentioned, "I’ve always believed a person’s mindset is so powerful and my recovery has reinforced that belief." He added, "My physical recovery seems to be directly proportional to my efforts and that helps me feel a bit more in control. But it seems trivial compared to the cognitive, psychological, and emotional sides of brain injury." Through these tough times dealing with an unreliable memory and a plethora of cognitive and physical therapies, Woloshen stands by him. 

You can follow Cody Bryant (@codys.comeback) on TikTok for more inspiring content.