Brave Hayley sings hospital's praises | Manawatu-Wanganui News | Local News in Manawatu-Wanganui

Hayley Sellars' dreams of treading the boards as an opera singer may yet come true, despite suffering serious spinal injuries in a freak horse-riding accident near Wanganui nearly two months ago.

The accident left the 16-year-old Wanganui Girls' College student with four broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a lacerated kidney and major damage to the  lumbar 3, 4 and 5 vertebrae. Hayley was sent to the Burwood Spinal Unit in Christchurch for treatment. It was quickly established there was no damage to her spinal chord.

Back home at the Kai Iwi Tavern, run by her mother Wendy and stepfather Paul Sellars, Hayley is awaiting a call from the spinal unit to see whether she requires an operation.

"I've been back home a week and a bit, after spending most of my time in Burwood, flat on my back. I can walk and I'm not sore, although I am on medication just in case. I just get tired quite quickly and, although I've been back to school, I have only been doing two or three periods a day," Hayley said.

"I had more x-rays taken at Wanganui Hospital on Friday and they have been sent down to Burwood for assessment. I may have to have an operation but I'm hoping not.

"The head of the unit, Mr Raj Singhal, appears happy with where I'm at."

The teenager can recall everything about the accident.

She had joined friends for a hunt in the hills near Kai Iwi in early July when her mount Jacko collapsed, falling on top of her.

She immediately got to her feet, even managing to tell her mates to "get a dog tucker wagon for Jacko".

"Jacko didn't die straight away but did a few minutes later. What else could you do but call for the dog tucker wagon? Jacko must have had a massive heart attack or an aneurism. I managed to make it to the homestead at the property we were on and collapsed myself. That was about 20 minutes after Jacko died - adrenaline is really, really good," Hayley said.

Hayley has always loved to sing. Her dream is to become a professional operatic singer and she wants to go to National Opera School in London. She was hoping to get a scholarship through Dame Malvina Major.

Ironically, the accident may well have provided Hayley with a short cut to London.

"While I was in the spinal unit I had a visit from Dame Malvina and she has asked me to prepare two songs to present to her next time I'm in Christchurch, where she lives. I can't think of what to sing for Dame Malvina. I don't want to muck it up."

Hayley already has an impressive list of singing and acting credits to her name, gathered during a career that began when she was 11.

In the meantime, Hayley is keeping her vocal chords in trim by singing the praises of the spinal unit staff.

"They are really good but they do really need a decent hair drier. My hair's quite thick and doesn't dry that well when I'm flat on my back," she joked.