Melody Neal graduates from Peace Lutheran College after schoolyard stabbing
From knocking on death’s door just six months ago a Cairns student and victim of a schoolyard stabbing has expressed her deepest gratitude for being granted a second chance at life.
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From knocking on death’s door just six months ago a Peace Lutheran College victim of a schoolyard stabbing has expressed her deepest gratitude for being granted a second chance at life.
On May 16, Melody Neal was allegedly attacked by former boyfriend Marc Taylor and fought for life in a critical condition suffering severed nerves in her spine and damage to her liver.
Mr Taylor, 18, was arrested at the scene and has since been held in custody at The Park Centre for Mental Health in Brisbane. His matter will next be heard on December 13 in Cairns.
But arriving at the Cairns Convention Centre in an elegantly embroidered strapless evening gown on Thursday, a casual observer could never have known the level of adversity the young graduate has overcome.
An ordeal described by mother Sharon Guest as a blessing from God was not lost on the 18-year-old.
“I am extremely grateful when it comes to how critical I was to the point that doctors were expecting me to die,” she said.
“From being at death’s door to recovery, I am extremely grateful for that.”
Adopted from a Chinese orphanage as a three-year-old, Ms Neal came into the care of Sharon Guest and Stuart Neal after enduring shocking deprivation.
She had no language, had never been fed solid food, had never experienced the comfort of human touch and was left to cry for hours on end.
“China was poor and there is a lot of poverty there, children and especially adopted children are not really wanted and looked down upon,” she said.
Speaking on the remarkable recovery of her second eldest of three adopted children, Ms Guest said the enormity of the ordeal had not yet sunk in.
“I don’t think it’s really hit her, I don’t think for quite sometime she could fathom what has happened,” she said.
“We didn’t know if she was going to live for four weeks, she was critical for three weeks.
“When I got the phone call to say she had been stabbed, you are incredulous but you think she is not going to die and the next call is from the doctor saying she is undergoing emergency surgery but you still think she is going to make it.
“It’s almost like the Gods have been watching, something has been looking after her.”
Ms Neal said she had been advised by doctors to take it easy and do more work to recover full use of her leg as she has been unable to run since being released from hospital in August.
“A bit of me is upset that it happened in year 12,” she said.
“I managed to go to the formal and managed to graduate but I missed out on hanging out with my friends at school and so I don’t think it’s something that I will ever get over.”
Already working two jobs Ms Neal said she was happy to do more work on her recovery and had no immediate plans to study or travel in 2024.
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Originally published as Melody Neal graduates from Peace Lutheran College after schoolyard stabbing
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