A father of two involved in a devastating crash has defied the odds by walking out of rehab within months.
Louie Saa, a keen motorist and basketball player, was found motionless in roadside bushland near Yandina by his wife Joy, after he failed to return home from a mid-November motorbike ride.
“I thought I was dead,” the 29-year-old from Bli Bli said.
“I remember everything. During the accident I was conscious the whole time. I’d lost control and went straight into the tree. I thought my life was over.”
Louie was airlifted to the Royal Brisbane Hospital, where doctors diagnosed his injuries. He suffered a C3 spinal cord injury and was told it was unlikely he’d walk again.
“Every day I’d wake up thinking it was a dream but then I’d see my arms and legs and realise it wasn’t. I had some really dark days at first but then the work began,” he said.
Louie was transferred to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital’s rehab department, where he worked with physios.
Joy and their two children, Summer, 4, and Rain, 2, were by his side.
Progress happened quickly. After a few days, Louie was able to move his arms and hands again, allowing him to use a power wheelchair provided by Wishlist.
For Louie, it meant he could go out to lunch every day with his family.
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Summer and Rain supported their dad during his physio exercises, when he’d return to the department for his afternoon sessions.
Louie made leaps in his recovery and he started to regain strength in his legs.
“Every day is a chance to get better and consistency is the key,” he said.
“I just always kept a positive mindset, never lost hope and every day I’d wake up and find something new that I couldn’t do yesterday.”
After just two weeks in rehab, Louie took his first steps.
He soon started walking around the hospital holding Summer and Rain’s hands: the two toddlers helping their dad get back to his feet.
“I always kept my family as my motivation. I’m too young for this and I wasn’t going to accept it,” he said.
Joy has been a rock for Louie from the moment she found him near the road. She’s been by his side at every doctor’s visit and physio session, offering support and motivation.
On February 12, just 13 weeks after his accident, Louie was discharged from hospital.
He walked out of rehab to huge applause: his remarkable achievement celebrated by the cheering rehab staff who had been a part of his journey.
“To all the doctors, nurses and physios that helped me, I want to say thank you. I’m going to miss you guys,” Louie said.
He now has his sights on getting back to the basketball court but his priority is getting home to the family that helped him stand again.
Wishlist has funded three power-wheelchairs for SCUH’s rehab department at $17,299 each.
The local hospital charity provides about $1.4 million in fundraising support to the needs of local health services around the Sunshine Coast.
