EARLY on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 18, Zoe Cook and her three children, eight-year-old Mackenzie (Macca), six-year-old Nash and nine-month-old Charlotte, were involved in a motor vehicle accident on the Gwydir Highway, about 60 kilometres east of Glen Innes.
It was a single vehicle accident on a sweeping left-hand bend; the car left the road and hit a culvert.
Zoe, Nash and Charlotte suffered minor injuries and after a short stay in Glen Innes Hospital walked away from the accident; Macca was flown to Westmead Children’s Hospital by the Westpac Helicopter and will never walk again. He has severe spinal injuries.
Zoe, his father Dave and other family members have been with him constantly through the serious battles since the accident last month.
Most recently he has had pressure sores from an ill-fitting brace, and pneumonia, which he is now recovering from, and this week he has had spinal surgery to fuse damaged vertebrae and stabilise a severed spinal cord.
Macca and his family face a long recovery and rehabilitation, and with the help of the team at Westmead Children’s Hospital they have now begun planning for a future that will be different than the one they had expected a fortnight ago.
At the moment it is a struggle for Zoe too as she has a broken foot and a broken collarbone and is currently in a wheelchair as she tries to support Macca.
Still using a ventilator to breath Macca’s short-term goal is to be breathing on his own in the next couple of weeks to be able to leave the intensive care ward.
The years ahead will be a struggle for Macca and his family. He will need lots of support. The family will need lots of support; at the moment Nash and Charlotte are staying with their grandmothers, one in Inverell and one in Bingara.
There is hope that in the next few months Macca will be ready to leave the hospital, and start on the serious job of rehabilitation. For now though, he has a new Spiderman patterned brace and he is pretty impressed with that.
Macca and his family are working toward a future that they now know includes a wheelchair and a number of aids, things that were inconceivable just a month ago, but their belief that he has a positive life ahead is strong.
Fundraising for Macca has already started and the activities planned for fundraisers for the next few months include a three-hour spin challenge by Proactive Gym on Saturday, February 18, which will give participants the opportunity organising sponsors to raise money.
The gym will also raffle a three month unlimited membership which will be drawn on February 17.
On February 24 a DJ and 80’s night will be held at the Imperial Hotel with raffles and a bucket will be passed around to collect donations.
Another fundraiser, including entertainment by Jonesboy Entert-ainment along with raffles on the night is on the way but the date and venue are yet to be announced.
IAS Riders are having ‘Bingara Equestrian Carnival’ from Tuesday, March 13 to Thursday, March 22 at the Bingara Racecourse.
It will include trail rides, equestrian exhibitions, riding, horsebreaking, carriage driving, polocrosse and a range of other activities.
The entire event will be a fundraiser with entertainment on Saturday night provided by the Rabbit Trappers and Vanessa Lea and Road Train.
Rabbit Trappers are on at the RSM Club on Saturday, April 28 with a range of items donated from Regency Jewellers, Retravision and Adrienne’s Beauty to be auctioned and raffled on the night. There will also be meat, seafood and fruit and veg trays arranged and donations of goods from local business are being invited.
There is a ‘100 Club’ operating at IAS, Imperial Hotel and Look Sharp Hairdressing and businesses are invited to participate with fundraisers able to provide a ‘100 Club’ to run.
Donations can be received at either IAS, 48 Howard Street, Inverell 6722 4947, or Best Employment in Campbell Street, Inverell 6722 2498.
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