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- Why are you here?
- I have personally been involved in a motor vehicle collision
- What are you looking for?
- understanding about what it's like living with a chronic injury or disability
- Date joined:
- 05 Aug 2010
- My story:
- On the 1st August 1981 I was competing in my 2nd senior Motocross event at Southern Cross (The King of the Cross) I was a young 16 year old who had competed in motocross since the age of 8 years ,with many junior state title under my belt. It was the 3rd race of the day and I had already been lucky enough to have won the first two events. The grid was lining and I was starting on the 3rd row and due to the fact that I had a small 125cc Honda I it would be hard to pass the field if I was going to win the day in the C grade event. The race started well with me passing a few riders from the start and progressively I was passing the field, by the time that it was 2 laps to go I was up to passing the leading rider. We were on a rough section of the track when I was making my move on the leader, he lost control and crashed into me, I was then thrown over the handle bars and landed at the bottom of the slag heap on the track (it was a very scary experience as I was totally paralysed from the head down) the riders behind started to run over me as the flag marshal had not started to wave his flag yet. Finally the flag was raised and the ambulance was sent over to pick me up and take me to the Southern Cross Hospital. While in there a doctor checked me and thought I had a pinched nerve (How wrong was he?). I was then flown down by Royal Flying Doctors to Jandakot Airport then Ambulanced to Royal Perth Hospital.
After being assessed at Royal Perth Hospital I was then Ambulanced to Royal Perth Rehab Hospital in Shenton Park where my rehabilitation would commence . I had broken C5/6 vertebra which is in your neck . As soon as arriving in Shenton Park I had my head shaved and 2 screws drilled into my scull ,which had a bracket bolted onto it then a rope with weights on it. This was to take the pressure of my spine. I was to be in bed for 6 weeks where every 2-4 hours people would move my body.I was fully paralysed for a week then slowly got some arm movement came back but to this day I have no movement of my legs. I never got any finger movement back as well but after a couple years I had surgery to get a moveable claw (a type of finger movement ,which assisted in life) .To date that is all the movement that I got back.
- Latest Blog Post:
- Against the grain - day 3
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