Crash survivor graduated by the ‘skin of her teeth’ before COVID-19 shutdown

A horror cycling accident interrupted her studies, but now Liesel Brown has graduated and COVID-19 almost put a stop to the ceremony.

It has been a long road to recovery for Liesel Brown since her bike accident in 2018.

A horror bicycle accident in 2018 threatened to derail Liesel Brown’s dreams of becoming a nurse.

After a long and painful recovery she has now completed her studies and on Saturday attended a graduation ceremony at Southern Cross University (SCU) Coffs Harbour campus.

“We were sooo lucky. We literally got in there by the skin of our teeth,” Liesel said.

It has been a long road to recovery for Liesel Brown since her bike accident in 2018.

Approximately 1200 people – one of the Coffs campus’ largest graduation gatherings – celebrated the achievements of close to 300 graduands across three ceremonies on Saturday.

But on Sunday afternoon SCU announced it would be closing campuses due to the increasing cases of COVID-19 across NSW.

The university was also planning to welcome new students in person for orientation week (from June 28 to July 2).

At this stage the university expects normal activity to resume on Monday, July 12, subject to NSW Health Department advice at the time.

“I’m lucky I can even move”

Liesel was lucky to be alive after a car ploughed into the group of cyclists she was riding with at the intersection of Aviation Dr and Christmas Bells Rd on April 28, 2018.

Every bone in her neck was broken with the C1 and C2 fractured in two places.

After a horror road cycling accident interrupted her studies, Liesel Brown has finally graduated and it almost didn't happen due to a second round of COVID-19 shutdowns at SCU. She is pictured here with husband Mick.

“I’m lucky to be alive. I’m lucky I can even move. I’m just lucky really.

“The doctors said they hadn‘t seen anybody break so many bones in their neck and still be able to move.”

She also broke both cheekbones, her collarbone, septum (in her nose), three ribs and her scapula in two places.

“I was a bit of a mess, really.”

At the time of the accident she was getting back into running after major surgery four years beforehand to insert a rod in her back to correct crippling scoliosis.

Always an active person she had her sights set on the Byron Bay Triathlon later in the year.

“I had tried all sorts of things to avoid the back surgery but in the end I had to have it done and the rod probably helped me not become a paraplegic.”