It was an ordinary day of doing what Ben Chandler loves best – riding his dirt bike out on the motocross track – when unexpected tragedy struck.
After flipping off his bike in a horrific crash at his motocross club at Coolum Beach, the long-time MX rider was told shortly after that he would never walk again.
But in true fighting spirits, the Burnside resident has vowed to prove the doctors wrong.
The passionate motocross enthusiast was riding at the MX Coolum Pines Club at about 9.30am on Sunday, October 30 when he came off his bike and suffered horrendous injuries, including a broken back, fractured rips and a punctured lung.
His motocross mates and long-term partner Simone Passmore witnessed the crash, which resulted in the 44-year-old being airlifted to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane.
His injuries were extensive, with doctors finding fractures to his T6 and T8 and a shattered T7, which was reconstructed in a 7-hour operation.
He also broke six back ribs and suffered a pulmonary edema (liquid in the lining of the lungs) and a hematoma in his heart wall. Both of his lungs were partially collapsed, and he contracted a chest infection.
He was given the grim news he would now be reliant on carers to assist him daily, and he would need at least six months of further hospital treatment.
Ms Passmore has been at his side since the accident and, with her voice wavering, she described how he was doing.
“It was a pretty bad crash,” Ms Passmore said.
“Emotionally he is not really that good, but physically he is slowly getting there.
“They took him off the IV drip yesterday, which is good … he’s got a random infection and they can’t figure out where or what it is.”
Because of the compounding issues of the hematoma on his heart and liquid in the lining of his lungs, which were partially collapsed, Ms Passmore said he couldn’t start rehab for his back injuries yet.
“His collapsed lungs are coming back, and his hematoma is slowly healing.
“Today, he actually practised sitting up on his own – which sounds like nothing – but it’s a huge thing.”
While the doctors say it’s for certain he won’t walk again, Ms Passmore said that wasn’t the case, because his spinal cord was still intact and only bruised.
“His cord is severely bruised, and the doctors keep saying the bruising doesn’t heal in the spinal cord, but there are people who have healed and Ben will be one of those people,’ she said.
“The occupational therapist told us not to start renovating our house yet, it’s early days, which I took as a positive.”
Mr Chandler has loved being on his bike his entire life, even before he could ride them properly and after joining the MX Club in 2005, he quickly found his other “family”.
“The club has been amazing, they are like a little family. When it happened everyone ran out onto the track that we knew,” she said.
“Everyone was there, someone was helping to put the boards under him to put him into the helicopter, someone packed up his gear and drove the car to Brisbane. I just hopped into the helicopter and the car was there in Brisbane.”
“They are amazing … everyone has been visiting, ringing and putting together fundraisers for him … it’s just a beautiful community it really is.
“People ask ‘why you would do it? It’s so dangerous,’ but it is the most beautiful sport.”
She said watching the love of her life going through this was “a lot.”
“It’s really hard, but the hardest thing is watching him struggle,” she said.
Meanwhile, the couple’s friends have started a GoFundMe Page for Mr Chandler. To donate, head to: Help Ben Chandler walk again.
Ms Passmore said people should consider donating “because he does better when I am here, so if I can be off work and be here with him, he will heal better.”
“It’s the power of human connection, I had to go home for two days on the weekend and he just struggled,” she said.
“A big shoutout to anyone and everyone who have helped us and in particular to the motocross family, they’ve been so wonderful. We also just want to say thank you to anyone who donates.”
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