I know several members are addicted to Rugby League, and just wanted to
post this tragic accident clip along with the link to the actual video. Our thoughts and prayers
go out to him.
Rugby player Alex McKinnon paralyzed after landing on neck
Australian professional rugby league player Alex McKinnon has been diagnosed as a quadriplegic after landing on his
neck during a game. McKinnon, who plays for the Newcastle Knights, was tackled during a game and as you can see in
the very graphic video above, he flips and lands hard right on the back of his neck.
McKinnon broke two vertebrae during the game last Monday and was placed in a coma, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
The 22-year-old awoke on Sunday to learn that doctors believe that the accident has left him a quadriplegic.
Still, his colleagues and family members won’t be deterred by the news. The chief executive of his team Matthew Gidly said,
“Alex is in the first phase of his recovery and we hope his progress continues.” McKinnon’s parents have stayed at his bedside.
McKinnon has already started physical therapy and Nine Network reported that the rehabilitation may help McKinnon improve
his condition, since his spinal cord was not severed.
Allegedly, McKinnon’s first words when he woke up was to ask for a lemonade, though he was not permitted to actually swallow it –
the beverage was dabbed on his lips instead, reports the Herald.
McKinnon has already undergone an emergency surgery and another surgery to insert a steel plate and bone graft over his damaged
vertebrae to protect his spinal cord.
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