A 29-year-old hairstylist in the UK has been left paralyzed after landing on his head in a freak accident on a trampoline, according to a report.
“A random little trip that was meant to be fun has changed my life forever,” said Matthew Gaynon, who landed between the safety padding and the net at a trampoline park, the Mirror reported.
“When they told me that I would never walk again I just broke down,” the resident of Openshaw, Manchester, added.
He said he knew immediately that something was seriously wrong after the tragic accident.
Matthew GaynonMercury Press & Media“I was laid on the trampoline and I just couldn’t move anything but my arms. It was terrifying,” he said about the mishap in August, when he joined a friend at the last minute.
“I’d never been trampolining before so I just thought I would go with them for something to do and a bit of fun. I never in my life imagined I would be leaving in an ambulance,” he said, the news outlet reported.
“I tried to do a flip and ended up landing on my head where the springs were,” Gaynon said. “I just didn’t know where my body was and my arms were tingling.”
He added: “My friend was filming it and laughing because she didn’t realize I’d hurt myself, but when I told her I couldn’t move she called an ambulance.”
Gaynon was rushed to the Salford Royal Infirmary, where he underwent a nine-hour operation and received the devastating news that he would never walk again.
Two weeks later, he was transferred to Southport Hospital, where he is undergoing intensive physiotherapy in hopes of being discharged by Christmas, the Mirror reported.
“When they told me I was paralyzed I didn’t want to speak to anyone for weeks,” Gaynon said.
“I don’t think I will ever get my head round what has happened to me but I’ve got to keep pushing myself on and get as much of my independence back as possible,” he added.
“I loved doing hair, I’ve been doing it for about 13 years so to be able to go to something I love and just have another bit of normality for me would mean the world.”
His pals have launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise more for a specialized wheelchair that would allow Gaynon to stand up and cut hair again.
