A YOUNG man is lucky to be alive – and in a position to likely walk again – after a recent quad bike accident left him with severe spinal injuries.
Weipa’s Axel Polmear was camping with mates at Pennefather Beach on the weekend of February 18-19 when he crashed his quad bike around 1am.
His mates rushed him to the Weipa Hospital in an unconscious state. He wouldn’t wake up for a further five days.
Axel was placed in a coma and airlifted from Weipa to Townsville.
A surgeon from Brisbane was flown up to perform surgery on Wednesday and he was taken out of his coma the next day.
“He’s doing phenomenally well, all things considered,” said Jazmine, Axel’s youngest sister.
“The doctors and nurses keep expressing their shock at how fast he’s recovering.
“The last couple of days he’s slowly started talking. It started off with mumbles.
“I think we were all very concerned he was going to be paralysed but there’s a real hope he’ll be able to walk again.”
Jazmin said the response from the Weipa community had been overwhelming.
She paid tribute to the team at the Weipa Servicentre for helping organise a fundraiser for the family so they could be at Axel’s side.
“Both mum and I worked for the Weipa Servicentre and the girls put the call out because they knew my parents would be too proud to ask for help.
“Everyone in Weipa has been so kind and we really appreciate it as a family.
“A special mention must go to his mates, who saved his life by being by his side and got him to hospital.”
