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NRL player Nathan Stapleton shares his ‘remarkable’ journey

Hamish SpenceNCA NewsWire
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Camera IconNot Supplied Credit: Supplied

Former NRL player Nathan Stapleton has shared the inspiring lengths to which he went to see the birth of his second child following his tragic country rugby league accident earlier this year.

Stapleton, who played 61 games and scored 17 tries for the Cronulla Sharks, was paralysed from the neck down when he was caught in a ruck while playing for the Boorowa Goldies in West Wyalong, NSW on April 9.

The 32-year-old damaged his spinal cord at the C4 level of his cervical vertebrae, leaving him quadriplegic.

The news was a devastating blow for Stapleton and his long-time wife Kate, who have been together for 15 years and had one son, Harry, at the time of the incident.

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Initially the worst was feared after Stapleton was pronounced dead on site for 16 minutes.

“To be gone for 16 minutes and still be here with my family and everything, I’m just so grateful because I still get to watch my boys grow up,” he told A Current Affair.

“That was the scariest thing for me because I love my boys and I love my wife and I didn’t want to miss out on that.

“It's hard to think about that because everyone was thinking the worst, obviously.”

Stapleton survived the ordeal but there were still concerns surrounding the long-term effects of his injuries.

“They advised me that it was highly likely that Nathan was going to have severe brain damage, which for me was worse than any of his neck fractures,” Kate said.

But while Stapleton didn’t suffer any brain injuries, he did face a completely different life to the one he was living before.

“The doctors came around and basically said, ‘You’re not going to have any movement. You’re not going to be able to walk again,’” he said.

“It's something that no one wants to hear.”

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Camera IconFormer NRL player Nathan Stapleton in a wheelchair with his wife Kate. A Current Affair Credit: Supplied

He could have easily let the situation defeat him, but he made a decision to make the most of his life.

“I had to make a choice. I could either sit here and feel sorry for myself and bring everyone down with me, or suck it up, accept it for what it is and focus on the things that I can do,” Stapleton said.

He focused this energy into making sure he was there for the birth of his second son in just a few weeks, which was a complex situation due to his condition.

“I’ve worked in ICU for about 10 years and I’ve never even heard of this kind of thing happening and to be honest, it’s not really a situation that arises too often,” nurse Stephanie Rhodes said.

“It’s a pretty remarkable and pretty rare situation.”

Stepleton was transported from the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney to the adjacent Royal Hospital for Women, with arrangements made to make sure he could be in the birth suite.

He was there when his son Angus was born, a magical moment which did come with some mixed emotions.

“We’re very thankful and blessed that we could be there together at the birth and it’s something that we’ll never forget,” Stapleton said.

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Camera IconNathan Stapleton holding his newly born son Angus. A Current Affair Credit: Supplied

“It's hard because the one thing you want to do when you’re having your second child is to comfort your wife physically, hold her hand, but I just couldn’t do it.

“I got to witness the whole thing and I still got to hold my own boy, and I still got to kiss my wife and tell her how amazing she was. It was bittersweet.”

Stapleton continues to adjust to his new life. He will likely need a ventilator forever and is getting used to his wheelchair.

He is still based in hospital, something his son Harry took some time to get used to.

“I think the questions were ‘why is Dad in bed?’ and ’why is he here? What are all these tubes on Dad?’” Stapleton said.

“But now over time, it’s just normal and it’s so beautiful because for a toddler to understand that Dad’s okay, that means the world to me.”

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Camera IconFormer NRL player Nathan Stapleton’s second son, Angus. A Current Affair Credit: Supplied

Despite everything he and his family have been through, Stapleton has a positive outlook on life.

“The injury, we can’t change it. It is what it is,” he said.

“No one wants to be where I’m sitting, but at the end of the day there’s so much to look forward to.

“I’ve got a beautiful wife, I’ve got two beautiful boys and I’m blessed I can still be there for them.”

Originally published as NRL player Nathan Stapleton shares his ‘remarkable’ journey

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