Woman Rushes to Childhood Crush's Side After His Near-Fatal Golf Cart Accident. Then, They Fall in Love

Brianna Attias and Cameron McIntyre reignited their relationship following an injury

Brianna Attias and Cameron McIntyre were next-door neighbors growing up in Toronto — and despite years of flirtation, it would be a near-tragic accident that would bring them together for life.

Attias, now 28, tells PEOPLE that she always had "a hidden crush" on her older next-door neighbor growing up. But a four-year age difference "was always a barrier," she shares.

However, as kids and teenagers, the two spent lots of time together, with Attias frequently sneaking into McIntyre's house via the basement window at night.

As they grew, the two went their separate ways — but always made it a point to keep in touch and visit each other when possible.

"He moved to the States for work and I moved away for college," Attias explains. "I went and drove 19 hours to go visit him in the States and stayed with him for a couple of nights. We stayed in contact always but weren't quite on the same page with what we wanted in life at the given time."

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Eventually, both moved back to Toronto and dated other people.

One day in September 2015, while at her boyfriend's house, Attias received a call that would change the trajectory of her life.

"I heard from one of Cam's friends who began to tell me that Cam was in an accident and broke his neck," she says of the moment in which a golf cart tipped over and landed on McIntyre's neck. "I remember literally falling to my knees of the basement floor and started screaming, 'NO.' To be honest, it felt like my whole world fell apart."

She continues: "Cam's friend began telling me that 'It's not looking good, and as of now he has a 1% chance of living,' so basically if I wanted to say my goodbyes, I should soon."

She immediately left her then-boyfriend's house and sped to the ICU with her family.

"As we were walking into his room, a priest was walking out," she says. "My mom and I looked at each other and started crying."

McIntyre, they soon learned, had been temporarily paralyzed and was wearing a neck brace when Attias saw him next.

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The next three months went by in a blur, with Attias traveling back and forth to the hospital as McIntyre continued recovering in the ICU.

Over the recovery, doctors told McIntyre he may never be able to walk again. His then-girlfriend eventually broke things off, but Attias stayed true.

"We officially became a couple March 27, 2016 — but I was by his side, sleeping in hospital beds and driving back and forth to school, even before that," she says.

As time went on and McIntyre began healing with the continued support of Attias, he "refused to give up."

Eventually, McIntyre did learn to walk again — beating the odds that had mounted against him.

Still, there were other challenges — including mental health struggles as well as costly bladder and bowel issues and neck and back pain. Doctors also warned McIntyre he would likely not be able to have children — news the couple initially took in stride.

"I had always wanted to be a mom but was okay with what Cam was told because I loved him so much," Attias tells PEOPLE. "We discussed adoption in the future briefly but moved on with our life. Until one day when we got a very big surprise to find out I was pregnant."

Today, the couple has three children — son Caiden, 6, and daughters Everely, 4, and Isla, 2 — and plans to get married in the future.

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Sept. 25, 2024, marked nine years since McIntyre's accident — a day that could have signaled tragedy but instead launched a new chapter.

"I usually celebrate it, to make it a positive day," Attias says. "We are very blessed."

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