'Locked-in' Dunedin man finds love against the odds

Finding love against the odds is one thing, but when one person can't walk or talk and the other lives in England, there are plenty of reasons why it might not work out.

But after meeting a "cute" girl on the internet, swapping emails across the world for nine months and finally meeting her two weeks ago, the odds could, finally, be in Dunedin man Nick Chisholm's favour.

Following a rugby injury nine years ago, Mr Chisholm (35) was diagnosed with a condition known as "locked in syndrome", where his brain functions normally, but his body does not respond.

Left paralysed and unable to talk, Mr Chisholm was initially told he would not live.

Since then, he as been on a dogged road to recovery and, following regular gym sessions, has regained some minor movement and learned to operate a computer using a joystick.

He has not given up on love either and, after meeting English teacher Nicole Cole (36) on Facebook, the emails flew thick and fast across the world.

Soon after the initial contact, Mr Chisholm pointed Ms Cole to a segment about him that aired last year on the TV show 20/20..

He seemed to be genuinely surprised when she had kept up contact, Ms Cole said.

"I still liked him. It doesn't really make a difference if you connect with someone.

"I'm not the sort of person who's not going to meet someone because of that.

"It was Nick the personality that I liked, not Nick the disability."

After nine months of intense emailing, Ms Cole decided she wanted to meet Mr Chisholm.

"That's what I can't understand," Mr Chisholm joked.

Ms Cole and her 17-year-old son Zac flew to New Zealand about two weeks ago, but not before some preparation for the meeting.

"I made a board (Mr Chisholm communicates using a clear board with letters and numbers on it) and practised on it with Zac."

Meeting Mr Chisholm had been great. "He downplayed everything to me, said it was worse than it is.

"He can actually do a lot more for himself than he said he could. He worries too much."

His first impression was that Ms Cole was taller than he had expected, Mr Chisholm joked. "Probably because I'm sitting."

He had downplayed himself because he did not want her to be disappointed, but having her here had confirmed their compatibility, he said.

"Our relationship grows more intense the longer we know each other."

Ms Cole and her son return to England on Saturday, but she will return to Dunedin in July to spend five weeks with Mr Chisholm.