Gold Coast teenager Matthew Kuhne woke up after neck surgery in 2007

Gold Coast teenager Matthew Kuhne awoke from neck surgery and before he said a word began doing arm curls. This was his incredible story.

Matthew Kuhne.

GOLD COAST BULLETIN, Wednesday August 15, 2007

MATTHEW Kuhne awoke from neck surgery and before he said a word began doing arm curls.

The motorcycle ace’s family had to tell the talented 19-year-old to take it easy after the metal traction device which had kept him immobilised was finally removed.

“I haven’t spoken to the doctors yet, but everything seems to have gone well,” said Kuhne’s relieved father, John.

“He’s woken up, they’ve taken the tube out of his mouth and there is nothing supporting his neck. When he opened his eyes he started to do arm curls.”

Gold Coast Bulletin, Wednesday August 15, 2007

At 8.15am, Kuhne’s face lit up when told of the news he would finally be wheeled to an operating theatre - five days after he was supposed to undergo surgery for a broken neck which left him paralysed from the chest down.

The Gold Coast motorcycle ace - the youngest Australian to compete in a world motorcycle grand prix - was injured while testing at Queensland Raceway.

Kuhne told his parents to have some Tim Tams, Mars Bar slices and milk ready so he could finally get some food into his slight 54kg frame.

His parents John and Lisa told of their relief their son’s long road to rehabilitation had begun.

“The operation is the beginning of the start of his journey basically. You have to start somewhere and today we’ve started it for sure,” said Mr Kuhne.

During the delicate six-hour operation doctors removed a section of bone from the teenager’s hip and placed it in his neck.

The C5, C6 and C7 sections of his neck were fused with wire, stabilising the area to allow the motorcycle star to sit up and begin rehabilitation.