From critical care to summer concert
‘‘I don't think I'll be going for any walks though’’ Marie Hyslop
She may have been left in critical condition after a freak trailer accident in Taupo, but Marie Hyslop is proving you cannot keep a good woman down.
In January 2016 Marie was enjoying a morning walk along Lake Terrace days before the summer concert.
Instead she was struck by a rogue trailer that had come free from its towing vehicle.
Marie was left with broken legs, punctured lungs and a severe head injury requiring a lengthy stay in Waikato Hospital before receiving treatment at a brain rehabilitation clinic.
Her injuries were so severe she had to re-learn how to walk.
‘‘I don’t know how I will feel coming back,’’ she said.
‘‘I don’t remember anything about the accident.’’
Marie said she is still recovering from the accident but is feeling much better and is excited to be travelling to Taupo to take in this year’s concert.
‘‘I don’t think I’ll be going for any walks though,’’ she said.
The yearly trip to the summer concert had become a tradition for Marie and her friends and getting back into routine is a big step for her.
‘‘I will be starting to work full days again soon,’’ she said.
‘‘I am doing very good apart from my right leg and arm and I still get tired easily.’’
Alexander William Klein and Dean William Haycock pleaded guilty to charges of careless use of a motor vehicle causing injury and collectively paid $30,000 to the Hyslop family.
The payment was regarded a shining example of restorative justice by Judge CJ McGuire with money going towards making the Hyslop household more accessible for Marie.
Taupo also rallied around Marie and offered her messages of support. Summer Concert organisers gifted Marie signed copies of all the bands’ albums and even provided free tickets to this year’s concert.
Bill Hyslop, Marie’s husband, said they were not sure if Marie would be recovered enough to travel to the concert initially.
‘‘Six months out and we were not sure if it was possible,’’ he said.
‘‘But she’s been really positive since the accident and has come so far down the track to recovery.
‘‘We always intended to make it back for the Taupo Summer Concert.’’