Conor Tweedy leaves hospital in wheelchair for first time

WHEN Gregory Terrace schoolboy rugby player Conor Tweedy woke one morning and saw something unexpected he knew the long road ahead had just become a little shorter.

WHEN scrum collapse victim Conor Tweedy woke one morning and was able to flex his right pointer finger ever so slightly he knew his long road was just a little shorter.

Where there had been nothing, the finger’s small movement was like a baby discovering his body for the first time.

The Year 11 schoolboy from Gregory Terrace celebrates every little milestone as progress and there was another yesterday with his first leave pass from hospital in a wheelchair.

Conor Tweedy on first outing outside hopsital with wheelchair rugby guy, posing at PCYC Bowen Hills Brisbane - (AAP/Image Steve Pohlner)

It says much about young Tweedy’s make-up that his first outing was to watch wheelchair rugby and to contemplate having a crack himself in a few months.

He does not hate the code which has left him with paralysis of muscles in his arms and legs after a traumatic neck injury in a Second XV match on July 21.

“You start to feel couped up in hospital so it was great to get out,” Tweedy, 16, said.

“I miss the physical stuff and wheelchair rugby is sick with how intense it is...I plan to give it a try down the track.
“It’s a long road so everything is progress like feeling that first movement in a one finger and now being able to flex them all a little.”

Conor Tweedy in hospital following his injury. Picture: Annette Dew

Regular visits and the humour of his schoolmates are a huge part of his positive mood even when one painted his fingernails with nail polish.

Terrace duo Nick Aitken, 16, and Ben Hearne, 16, readily accepted the invitation of Rio Paralympian Ryan Scott to try out a competition rugby wheelchair with the dings to prove it at the YMCA at Bowen Hills.

“You talk of green shoots of recovery coming through and any time there is a new finger with a little flex or more feeling in a bicep Conor builds on it in therapy,” father Sean said.

“This may be a nine-month process or longer to see where Conor gets to it’s all patience and perseverance for the rewards.”

Conor Tweedy (centre), with mates Nick Aitkin and Ben Hearne. Picture: AAP/Steve Pohlner

Added Year 11 schoolmate Ben: “The first time I saw Conor in intensive care he was cracking jokes and he’s just a guy who looks at each outcome positively.”

A trust has been set up for tax-deductible donations to fund equipment and therapy to help with the schoolboy’s rehabilitation at https://conortweedy.com/donate now