A close brush with mortality - The dire situation faced by the horseback champion is revealed.
On a Sunday, event organizer Volker Wulff (67) expressed that if nothing changes, it's a harm that will completely heal and won't cause any damage. The rider will be able to continue playing his sport.
However, it's now becoming known just how severe the situation was for the two-time champion of the Hickstead Derby!
Mere millimeters from death!
Breen's wife Caroline was on hand during the fatal incident on the derby course in Klein Flottbek and has been by her husband's side since. She has shared her view of the event in the English newspaper "Horse & Hound."
"The first responders on site were incredible. They immediately determined that he had a neurological fracture based on tests conducted at the scene. I can't thank them enough for saving him - he was millimeters away from dying due to the cut spinal cord."
Breen initially was taken to Altona Hospital. An MRI scan was conducted there and the rider was put into an induced coma. Then, he was transported by helicopter to St. Georg for surgery.
Caroline Breen: "He has three fractures in his lower neck and a lot of dislocations. The biggest fracture was mended, and the spinal cord was spared. He has no paralysis and will eventually be able to walk and ride again."
On Tuesday, the rider was able to stand up with assistance from physiotherapists for the first time since the incident. After another procedure, he is slated to be flown back home in about a week to commence his rehabilitation.
"He has a long path ahead of him and we have a long way to go," says Breen's wife. "But if he keeps moving forward like he has been recently, he has a bright prognosis."
Through this challenging period, she received enormous support from the entire equestrian community. Hundreds of messages also flooded her phone. Finally, Caroline Breen publicly thanked event organizer Wulff and all the contributors:
"Everyone in the medical team in Hamburg was phenomenal. I can't thank them enough."
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Source: symclub.org
