Eight weeks ago, well-liked Kyabram harness racing trainer and equine therapist Kristy Butler got out of bed at 6.30 in the morning and, in an instant, life changed completely.
The 41-year-old suffered a stroke, caused by three bleeds at the back of her brain, beginning a journey which has already required her to learn to walk again – and one which is far from over.
“I just got up to make a coffee, and it happened,” Butler said.
“Wow, hasn’t life changed in the blink of an eye? I have really learned not to take anything for granted,” she said.
“But I am going okay. The main thing is I’m alive.”
Kristy and her husband Marc relocated with their son Ollie from Tasmania to the Goulburn Valley, in September 2024 and had been working to establish themselves at Kyabram, building a racing stable alongside their pre-training work and running Kristy’s Equine Sport Therapy business.
Just over 12 months ago, they were celebrating the biggest victory of Kristy’s training career when Cuzzy Bro (Ultimate Machete) won Tasmania’s $60,000 Raider Stakes.
The shock of Kristy’s stroke is still sinking in, but for those who know her, her determination to fight her way back is no surprise.
After an extended stay in hospital, Kristy has now been released as an outpatient and is back home, where nurses visit daily and her rehabilitation continues.
“I have learned to walk again, which is amazing,” Kristy said.
“I am struggling with eyesight and dizziness at the moment. There are so many nurse and physio visits and it all tires me out, but I’m working very hard to get back to what I was.”
While friends initially held off establishing a fundraiser for Butler and her family while they waited for answers and a clearer understanding of what lay ahead, it became apparent that recovery would be a long-term proposition.
A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $15,600 to help Kristy, Marc and their family through the months ahead.
With both Kristy and Marc self-employed, the financial impact of the stroke was immediate, while the uncertainty surrounding her recovery has made it impossible to know when she will be able to return to her equine therapy business.
Those behind the fundraiser said it had been established after many people asked what they could do to help a woman who had so often been the one helping others.
“If you know Kristy, you know she’s the kind of person to lend a hand, offer support, or do whatever she can to help,” the fundraiser organiser Michelle Grant said.
“Asking for help has never come naturally to her.”
The campaign aims to ease some of the financial pressure on the family and allow Kristy to concentrate on her rehabilitation without the additional worry of lost income.
The support is also a measure of the friendships she has built through horses and while readily admitting there are still difficult days, her outlook is positive.
“I am going well now – as well as can be expected,” she said.
“The main thing is I’m alive. I’m very determined to return to normal in time.”
Although the initial fundraising target has been reached, donations can continue to be made at the Gofundme page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/supporting-kristy-her-family-through-her-recovery
Everyone at Harnesslink and Harness Racing Victoria sends their best wishes to Kristy and her family as she continues her recovery.
