SNN_April 2021 Issue_Low Res

NEW ZEALAND SPINAL TRUST 20
He fell from the height of three metres straight down on
to his back, which caused a significant impact on his
spine. Brook fractured his T12 and L1 vertebrae.
“I remember the pain was excruciating,” he said. “I
realised I couldn’t roll because I couldn’t feel my legs. I
knew then that it was pretty serious. I didn’t have any
painkillers … I was pretty scared in that moment.”
Brook’s plight did not improve quickly. He spent five
hours on the mountain in excruciating pain, waiting for
the helicopter to arrive. It felt like forever.
“The whole situation was pretty horrible and the pain was
getting worse,” he said. “I was told to hold tight, that the
helicopter was coming, but nothing happened…
“At the time, I accepted what had happened and, if I was
going to be paralysed, then I was going to be paralysed. If
not, well that was going to be a good thing.”
Brook went straight into emergency surgery on his spine
and spent the next two weeks in hospital in Quebec.
His fiancée was told by Doctors there was a chance her
partner would never walk again.
“No one ever told me that I was going to be in a
wheelchair,” he said. “Which was really good, because it
drove me to be back where I am today. The best thing
about my recovery was not being told those words.”
Brook was flown home and continued his rehabilitation at
the Burwood Spinal Unit in Christchurch.
Every day, for four weeks, he would work with Quinn, his
physiotherapist, twice a day and make small gains.
Brook’s ACC Recovery Co-ordinator, Kat Matthews, said
he was a very motivated guy who fully committed to
his rehabilitation.
—Kat Matthews, ACC Recovery Partner
Brook was amazing to work
with. He was very motivated
and did everything he could
to be back walking and
cycling post-accident.
“Brook was amazing to work with. He was very motivated
and did everything he could to be back walking and
cycling post-accident”.
Kat would contact Brook to make sure he was on track and
said he was always progressing better than expected.
“When I got his claim, based on the severity of his
injuries, I wasn’t sure Brook would be able to ride his bike
again, so he has done incredibly well.”
Five weeks after sustaining a spinal cord impairment,
Brook walked out of the Burwood Spinal Unit.
“That was an amazing moment,” he said. “My biggest
goal was to walk out of Burwood unassisted and, to
achieve that, was awesome. I hadn’t been home for three
months and I never spend that much time away from
home. I felt free again.”
Kat said the man, known as “Bulldog” for his
hard-charging mountain-biking style and never-say-dieattitude,
showed an unrelenting determination and
positive attitude.
Brook Macdonald has shown incredible commitment to his rehab to
get back to competing at the highest level. Photo credit: Red Bull.