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Never say die: Echuca man on road to independence after horrific accident
SCOTT Newlyn's parents have been told to prepare for their son's death more than once.
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Crushed in a horrific car crash just out of Echuca, the then 20-year-old suffered life-threatening injuries to almost every part of his body.
He wasn't expected to last the air ambulance flight to Melbourne.
Somehow, he pulled through, but his chance of survival, let alone recovery, over the next few months was so minuscule, the Newlyn family constantly braced for the worst.
Seven years later, their determined son continues to defy the odds - eventually speaking odd words, walking short distances on a frame and returning home after a two-year hospital stay.
And while these were milestones doctors never thought possible, they have come with constant challenges and setbacks.
“The past seven years has been a long but overall positive road,” mum Jody said.
“It was hard to believe we were suddenly living a life all parents fear when their children start driving, but we still have him and for that we are so very grateful. Too many families don't get that.”
It was November 2, 2013, when Scott's life changed forever.
The Echuca Hotel bartender was driving home along the Murray Valley Highway when he lost control of his car and skidded off the road, smashing into a tree about 1am.
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If it wasn't for Echuca police officer Brendon Lodi, who drove past a couple of hours later, Scott would be dead.
“He noticed some gravel on the road and just felt something wasn't right so he went back and found Scott under the bushes,” Jody said.
“Brendon then went about organising emergency services all the while talking to Scott while Ian, his partner, held Scott's head even during his extraction from the car which needed the roof and doors cut off.
“All the while, an area was being organised for a chopper to land in a nearby paddock,” Jody said.
“Time was of the essence.
“We were told at the hospital that Scott was within a minute of not being here before they found him and were able to stop his internal bleeding.
“We will be forever grateful to all the emergency services who did an amazing job under extremely difficult circumstances, to the helicopter crew who were training in the area, the MICA ambulance crew who were in town, the search and rescue crew who jumped into action, some knowing Scott, and Brendon for turning back.”
Suffering 11 broken ribs, C1-2 fracture, collapsed lung, torn aorta, smashed collarbone, broken jaw, torn ear and severe head and brain injuries, Scott was flown to Melbourne's Alfred hospital in a critical condition.
“The doctors did not know how he got to them alive,” Jody said.
“It is every parent's, brother's and sister's worst nightmare, that someone they love is now fighting for life.”
Jody and husband Rod were away for the weekend in Coffs Harbour when they got the call from their eldest son who said Scott had been in a serious accident and had been flown to Melbourne.
“It took us eight hours to get there, and on the way one of the medical team rang to advise us of Scott's injuries and there was a possibility Scott may not survive them before we could get there,” she said.
“It was horrendous. Those eight hours felt like days.”
Scott underwent major surgery on his aorta, lungs and brain before being placed in an induced coma for three weeks.
Seeing their son and brother for the first time was heartbreaking for the Newlyns, but also a relief he had survived the surgery.
“In ICU it was very confronting to see him in a coma, on a ventilator, knowing that machines were the only thing keeping him alive,” Jody said.
“Part of his skull was missing with a bandage covering it, tubes were draining fluid from his brain and lungs and a collar was holding his neck in place.
“A doctor told us our son would not be the son we knew if he survived and that next week, depending on the results of a scan, we may have to make the decision to turn off his ventilator as Scott's brain continued to swell.
“After that scan it was decided Scott would be given another two weeks in which time if he didn't wake up or respond to pain, we may be faced with that decision again and we needed to prepare ourselves for that.
“I still don't know how anyone can prepare for something like that.
“That's when we started telling Scott we couldn't get through this without him. We were terrified and desperate, but at the same time so grateful for those two weeks.
“No-one knew what was going to happen. The only thing we were told by a specialist was that people with these injuries do better with a supportive family than those who don't.”
Luckily for Scott, his family was just that.
In fact, Scott said it was his family who kept him going.
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Scott doesn't remember the accident or much of the time afterwards, which he believes is a blessing.
While seven weeks in the Alfred hospital was touch and go, the real work began at the Epworth Rehabilitation Centre, where he was placed in the ABI (acquired brain injury) unit.
It was during this time Scott had to have his skull put back in, at which time he suffered a major bleed, sending him back into ICU.
“This was worse than the accident,” Jody said.
“The bleed took everything from him. He could then only blink, which at times was subjective.
“Nothing went back to normal after this bleed. His recovery started again from this moment.
“It has been a slow, gradual recovery with every part of him needing rehab.”
Another mind-numbing operation was done and, 12 months later, his skull started to deteriorate and had to be replaced with a titanium plate.
“I knew this was going to be life-changing for Scott but I couldn't focus on that, I could only focus on what was happening at the moment,” Jody said.
“I certainly didn't count on all the setbacks the next few years would bring and with every one of them I feared how much more his body could take.”
Yet again, Scott proved everyone wrong, and after two years of intensive rehabilitation, he finally drove back up his driveway - this time in a wheelchair.
Giving a thumbs up signal, Scott said going home was the "best day".
For Jody, it was a day of mixed feelings.
“Of course it was fabulous after two years to be home again with Scott but when you have lived in this bubble of rehab and support staff who have become your family, it is a scary and confronting thing,” Jody said.
The family was encouraged to place Scott into full-time care in Melbourne, but Jody said that was never an option.
“Of course it comes with its challenges, but Scott is fantastic and has worked so hard,” Jody said.
“He still has his cheeky and beautiful personality, we still laugh, we still shed a tear now and again but we are all very focused on Scott's future.”
Over the past five years, Scott has gone from being completely dependent to being able to control his wheelchair, walk short distances with a walking frame, verbally express himself, make his breakfast, help with household chores, ride a recumbent bike and play the pokies.
“He is getting more and more independent and has an amazing team around him helping him to achieve his goals,” Jody said.
“His job is rehab and he doesn't rest much.”
Scott is now working hard towards an independent life and has four goals to achieve by the time he is 30.
“A girlfriend" is number one on his list, he says with a cheeky smile.
The other goals are working again, getting his licence and being able to ride on a jetski.
The latter ones may prove challenging, but not impossible, according to Scott.
“Scott wants to be independent as he once was, and he needs to work exceptionally hard to achieve this and it might take 10 years but hopefully with support he can achieve that,” Jody said.
“Every day is rehab and us dealing with those issues around that and as long as he keeps improving, that keeps everyone around him motivated and joyful.”
In Victoria this year, 203 people have lost their lives on our roads.
Hundreds more have been seriously injured and the consequences may last a lifetime.
But Jody said road trauma wasn't just about statistics,
“It's lives lost, family trauma dealing with the grief of that, lives that are recovering from life-changing injuries which are not always just physical and families dealing with the challenges and grief for their loved one,” she said.
“Recovery can be a lifetime of hard work and pain living with awful injuries and, in many cases, loneliness.”
This is a side to road trauma not often thought or talked about.
The journey to recovery presents many challenges, both emotionally and financially for accident victims and their families.
“As a family who love our beautiful son and brother,” Jody said.
“We will always grieve for the life he may not be able to live, but we also celebrate his improvements and are very focused on helping him achieve the best life he can possibly have with a lot of laughter along the way.
“And for this, we are very grateful.”
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