‘He knew straight away… he wouldn’t walk again’: Wife’s heartache after freak backyard accident leaves the father of her children with a snapped neck – as he faces life as a quadriplegic
- Matt Don, 32, became paralysed after he tripped on a log in his backyard
- Father-of-two is still in intensive care and snapped his neck in the accident
- He will have no feeling from the neck down and needs intensive rehabilitation
A father-of-two faces the prospect of never walking again after a freak accident in his backyard left him with a snapped neck.
Matt Don was clearing trees on his newly purchased block of land in the Perth Hills on Sunday when a large log swung towards him, forcing him to the ground.
The 32-year-old’s injuries were described as catastrophic – and he no longer has feeling from the neck down.
Mr Don’s wife, Kirsty Mulholland, told PerthNow he ‘knew instantly’ he was paralysed.
Father-of-two Matt Don (left) is now facing life as a quadriplegic after a freak accident
Mr Don is now recovering in the intensive care unit at Royal Perth Hospital, where he is expected to spend the next year adapting to his life without feeling from the neck down
‘He knew straight away. He told me straight away, that it’s done, he’s not going to walk again,’ she said.
The Perth-based economist took all the right precautions and was being assisted by his father at the time of the accident.
He is currently recovering in the intensive care unit at Royal Perth Hospital, where he is expected to spend the next year adapting to his life as a quadriplegic.
Doctors confirmed the father-of-two shattered his C4 vertebrae in the fall and suffered a severely damaged spinal cord.
Pictured: Matt Don with his two daughters before the tragic incident which left him paralysed
Ms Mulholland, a registered nurse, said she understands the challenges that lie ahead for her young family.
The couple had only purchased the block of land last month and were prepping it to build their dream family home.
In a GoFundMe page set up to help alleviate some of the costs associated with Mr Don’s recovery, the family said they’re struggling to cope with the shock, disbelief and sadness.
‘Matt is a loving husband, a fun and devoted father … and lives an extremely active lifestyle,’ Ms Mulholland said.
‘Despite what he is battling himself, nothing concerns him more than his family’s wellbeing and so he wanted this story to be told.’
Mr Don and his wife (pictured together) purchased the land last month with hopes of building their dream home