Maddy Grace suffers serious spinal injuries in mountain bike crash
A young Hobart woman due to be married in March has been paralysed from the waist down after a shocking mountain bike accident, but says she is grateful she will still make it down the aisle, even if it is in a wheelchair.
Tasmania
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A young Hobart woman due to be married in March has been paralysed from the waist down after a shocking mountain bike accident, but says she is grateful she will still make it down the aisle, even if it is in a wheelchair.
Ms Grace and her partner, Chris Mazengarb, have postponed their wedding so they can focus on Maddy’s rehabilitation in Melbourne before returning home to Tasmania.
“If I have to wheel down the aisle that doesn’t phase me,” Ms Grace said.
“I’ve still got my independence and can move around. I don’t see the changes in my body inhibiting me as a person, or my ability to make it down the aisle.”
Mr Mazengarb has marvelled at Ms Grace’s bravery and her positive outlook since the crash about three weeks ago.
“She’s very inspiring,” he said.
“When we do get married, it will be more of a celebration and party than a wedding.”
Ms Grace was riding her bicycle on the Derby trails, in the state’s North East, on December 23 when, she said, she “applied the brakes too hard, flipped and did a scorpion” over the handlebars.
It was a moment which changed the 26-year-old’s life forever.
“I was on one of the downhill sections. I knew the way my legs landed and the feeling I had in them that it was going to be a significant injury,” Ms Grace said.
Mr Mazengarb and a group of friends witnessed the crash and called Ambulance Tasmania.
She was assessed to have a serious spinal injury and was flown by emergency helicopter to the Royal Hobart Hospital.
The former Mount Carmel College student underwent major spinal surgery at the RHH, with five of her vertebrae fused together.
Ms Grace, a nurse and midwife, said the care she received in the crucial hours after the crash was “second to none”.
“I can’t believe how quick Ambulance Tasmania and the Derby crew got me out of there, especially with the amount of pain I was in. They were so well co-ordinated,” she said.
“The flight paramedics, the surgeon, and all of the staff at the Royal were amazing. I believe the initial care I received will set me up for the rest of my life.”
After being stabilised in Hobart, Ms Grace was flown to Melbourne’s Austin Hospital and has since moved to the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre.
It is expected she will remain at the centre for several months.
“How long I’m in Melbourne depends on how fast I recover,” Ms Grace said.
“I want to do as much recovery as I can back home. So I’m trying as hard as I can to push through this rehab and get back to Tasmania.
“I’ve been shocked at how mobile I still am. Not being able to move my legs hasn’t really stopped me.”
Ms Grace and Mr Mazengarb, 27, became a couple in 2014 after they met through a mutual friend.
The pair were engaged at the beginning of 2022 and were set to tie the knot in March.
“We’ve postponed it for the time being. The main thing is Maddy and her health,” Mr Mazengarb said.
A GoFundMe page launched by a close friend has raised more than $80,000 for Ms Grace’s ongoing medical costs.
She said her family had been overwhelmed with the support from day one.
“The messages of support from my family, friends and wider community have driven me in my recovery to look forward and stay positive in a challenging time.
“We’re so lucky we live in Tassie, it’s such a tight-knit community.”
Mr Mazengarb was also taken aback by the outpouring of assistance.
“The amount of money raised will be a massive help for Maddy’s future recovery,” he said.
“However, what has really blow us away, is over 640 people have donated and sent messages of support. That is very humbling.”
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