Mum reveals 'horror' injuries from teen daughter's stabbing

“Three hours later we got on a plane, it took three flights to get to Australia and I spent the entire time thinking I was going to go back to visit a morgue."

Joel Erickson

3 min read

August 25, 2023 - 12:53PM

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The mum of a teenager who was nearly killed during an alleged school stabbing in Far North Queensland has spoken about her daughter’s horror injuries.

Melody Neal, 18, was attacked on May 16 at Peace Lutheran College in Kamerunga, a northwest suburb of Cairns.

The Cairns Post reports Melody could not walk or talk for 15 days after the alleged stabbing, and had to have half her liver removed.

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Doctors initially feared the teenager would never walk again due to a number of severed spinal nerves.

Melody was rushed to Townsville Hospital in a critical condition, where she spent a long period of time in ICU.

Melody Neal, 18, was the victim of an alleged school stabbing in May at Peace Lutheran College. Picture: Supplied

"I thought I was going back to a morgue"

Her mum, Sharon Guest, and her dad Stuart Neal were in Vietnam when they received an urgent email from the school.

“I rang the (Cairns) hospital straight after and I just asked the nurse straight out, ‘Is she going to die?’ The nurse replied ‘Her blood pressure is very low’ and so I asked ‘Is she going to die?’ and the nurse said ‘Well, we are very worried’,” Sharon told The Cairns Post.

“Three hours later we got on a plane, it took three flights to get to Australia and I spent the entire time thinking I was going to go back to visit a morgue.

“I simply do not have the words to explain what that feeling was like.”

Melody Neal, 18, with her dad Stuart Neal, returning home for the first time from hospital. She was allegedly stabbed at school in May at Peace Lutheran College. Picture: Supplied

"We really didn't know if she was going to live"

Melody was already in an induced coma at Townsville Hospital when Sharon and her husband arrived in the country.

“It was touch and go for several weeks,” Sharon said.

“We really didn’t know if she was going to live.”

The Cairns Post reports Melody underwent several surgeries, including one to remove half her liver due to damage from the stab wounds.

“When we met with her liver surgeon, he said the damage to her liver had been far greater than the surgeons in Cairns had thought,” Sharon said.

Police cars outside Peace Lutheran College in Cairns after a female student, 18, was allegedly stabbed by a male student. Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

"We didn't know if she would walk again"

Another operation saw surgeons patch up a hole in Melody’s spine, but unfortunately they discovered the knife had also severed three spinal nerves.

“We didn’t know if this meant she couldn’t walk again,” Sharon said.

“Every time it looked like she was getting better, something would happen — an infection or bleeding episode would occur. Just when it looked like she was going to be taken out of ICU, she had a massive haemorrhage in her bowel.”

Melody was placed on dialysis due to damage to her kidneys, and it took her four weeks to regain consciousness.

A recent photo of Melody Neal, 18, who was allegedly stabbed at school in May at Peace Lutheran College. Picture: Supplied

"She's doing OK at this stage"

Now, three months on from the alleged stabbing, Sharon said her daughter was “coping relatively well”.

The Cairns Post reports her walking has returned to near-normal, although she still gets severe pain in her right leg.

Melody has also returned to part-time study and wants to finish Year 12.

“To be honest I still think she is in shock. But she’s doing OK at this stage,” Sharon said.

Melody and her parents have praised the actions of Peace Lutheran College saying they were “awe-struck by the humbling care and humanity that poured our way”.

They said Peace Lutheran College staff’s actions “saved Melody’s life” and had recently met with them to “thank them from the bottom of our hearts”.

Marc Rajan Taylor, 18, has been charged with Melody’s attempted murder.