A Perth teenager has walked out of hospital, six months after breaking his neck in a swimming accident that turned his life upside down.
A Perth teenager has walked out of hospital, six months after breaking his neck in a swimming accident that turned his life upside down.
By Ezra Holt
October 4, 2025 — 3.00am
A Perth teenager has walked out of hospital, six months after breaking his neck in a swimming accident that turned his life upside down.
Matthew Haylett dived head-first into water at Mullaloo Beach in March, unaware a sandbank lay just beneath the surface.
His friend rushed into the water to rescue him, an act that saved Haylett’s life.
The then-17-year-old spent a month at Royal Perth Hospital after spinal surgery and was told he may never walk again. He was paralysed from his neck down.
“That was strange – [it] felt like my head was floating, [I’d] slowly get some feeling back, I could move my arm … then I got a twitch in my leg”, Haylett told 9News Perth ahead of his discharge this week.
The teenager was transferred to Fiona Stanley Hospital to continue his recovery, celebrating his 18th birthday in the midst of a gruelling rehabilitation program to learn how to walk again.
He completed a dozen gym sessions a week for five months, and spent countless hours in the pool during appointments with physios and occupational therapists.
Despite the strong bonds he has created with nurses and fellow patients, Haylett said he was ready to leave the hospital.
“I can’t wait to go home, I’m sick of this place,” he said.
“I can’t wait to be back with my family, with my little brother and mum, and just go back to normal.”
The Western Power apprentice is also looking forward to returning to work, driving his car and playing soccer again.
He encouraged others who have suffered serious injuries to work hard on their recovery.
“You get what you put into it, all the staff and physios are here to help, just try and do as much as you can – everyone’s different, so you don’t know how it’s going to end up, but just make the most of it,” he said.
Monique Carbone, a clinical nurse at Fiona Stanley Hospital’s spinal unit, worked closely with Haylett over the past five months.
She said hospital staff were stunned at how fast he recovered.
“He came in with a C5, C6 injury … he was in a collar and wasn’t doing much in bed, so no one expected him to be as great as he is today,” Carbone said.
The nurse was among the dozens of staff to farewell the teenager from hospital on Friday.
“It is emotional. Every time you tell yourself you’re not going to cry and you to. It’s just overwhelming.”
Haylett now faces another eight weeks of rehabilitation at home with the aim of increasing time spent on his feet without the help of crutches or a wheelchair.
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