'Speedy' recovery from spinal injury

[Max]

'Speedy' recovery from spinal injury

Speedy by name, speedy by nature.
Three months ago, an accident left Rowan "Speedy" Marshall unable to move his legs. Yesterday, after 12 weeks of rehabilitation, determination and support, the 19-year-old walked out of the Burwood Spinal Unit.

On May 2, Marshall was having a few drinks and laughs with friends in Dunedin, where he was studying at the College of Education.
A little after midnight, Marshall performed a back flip off a friend's shoulders.
He landed awkwardly on the back of his head. Twelve hours later, he was flat on his back in traction with a metal halo screwed into his head.
Medical tubes sprouted from various parts of his body as he was flown to Christchurch Hospital's intensive-care unit.
Marshall had dislocated the C5 and C6 vertebrae, squashing half his spinal cord.
He would need an operation to fuse the vertebrae, using a bone graft from his hip and a titanium plate.
He would also need the care of experts at Christchurch's Burwood Spinal Unit.
Unit clinical director Dr Xianghu Xiong said it was always rewarding to see a patient leave the unit walking, but success was relative to the individual.
"We take a holistic view of each patient," he said.
"It is part of our total care package here." Marshall walked through the hospital corridors yesterday, hugging and saying goodbye to


http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/thepress/4147920a6009.html