Mackay dies

[barbarian]

Making his way back to the team hotel, has broken his leg and sustained head injuries.

Brumbies lock Shawn Mackay is in a Durban hospital after being hit by a car

ACT Brumbies lock Shawn Mackay is in a Durban hospital after being hit by a car following his side's Super 14 loss to the Sharks in South Africa.

It is understood Mackay, 26, was struck as he and several players were making their way back to their team hotel after they went out following the 35-14 loss on Saturday night.

The Brumbies said Mackay was nursing a broken leg and head injuries but is in a stable condition at Durban's St Augustine's Hospital.

"Shawn is a popular member of the playing group and obviously our thoughts are with him," Brumbies spokesman Nick Smith said.

"While we are still gathering details our primary concern is for Shawn's health and safety."

Mackay, who came off the bench in the loss to the Sharks, joined the Brumbies at the start of the season from the NSW Waratahs.

He has been a member of the Australian Sevens side since 2004 and also spent five years playing rugby league with the Sydney Roosters' junior side.

The Brumbies will remain in South Africa this week ahead of next weekend's match with the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25259522-23209,00.html

 

[formeropenside]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

Poor bastard.

 

[barbarian]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

Now in a medically induced coma. Thoughts and prayers with the young lad and his family.

 

[RugbyReg]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

shees sad news.

Can someone please explain why he would be put into a coma? What's the reasoning for a medically induced coma?

 

[Grandmaster Flash]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

Dunno, but here's a more detailed story of the injuries.

ACT Brumbies forward Shawn Mackay is in a medically induced coma in a Durban hospital following surgery after he was hit by a vehicle in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Mackay suffered spinal injuries and a broken leg as well as multiple facial fractures and lacerations after being hit by an armoured response vehicle while crossing a road.

The accident occurred at about 4am in Durban when Mackay and a number of other Brumbies players were returning to the team hotel following a night out after their Super 14 loss to the Sharks on Saturday night.

A Brumbies spokesman said police were investigating the incident but it is believed Mackay was not "skylarking" at the time.

Mackay, 26, suffered a cervical spinal fracture and dislocation in the accident.

He was in a critical but stable condition and was expected to remain in an induced coma as he undergoes further medical treatment.

Brumbies team doctor Warren McDonald, who was working with staff at Durban's St Augustine's Hospital, said Mackay was receiving around the clock intensive care and treatment.

"Shawn has sustained severe head and leg injuries but has received first-class medical treatment from the time of the accident," McDonald said.

"He is currently in a critical condition but is stable and we won't know the full extent of his injuries until he is brought out of a coma in two days time."
http://wwos.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=795050

Really sad news, hope he pulls through OK.

 

[Blue]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

That's terrible.

St Augistine's is first class. About ten years ago I ended up there after a diving accident and they were really good.

 

[Pfitzy]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

Can someone please explain why he would be put into a coma? What's the reasoning for a medically induced coma?

With the head and spinal injuries, especially if there is swelling e.g. via haematoma then you can get into trouble if the patient moves around - they might aggravate something else. Sometimes they want to completely incapacitate the patient until the danger period is past, and because its very difficult to actually get someone to lie still for long periods at a time under their own volition, they're given enough morphine (or other opioid) to put them under and allow the swelling to subside.

A recent case was the actress Natasha Richardson (Liam Neeson's wife) who hit her head while skiing. She showed no ill effects for a short period, then was rushed to hospital when she started to get a headache. Within hours she was dead from epidural haematoma - something that perhaps could have been prevented if a more detailed medical exam had been made (and if she hadn't refused attention in the first place during her initial lack of symptoms).

Inducing a coma via drugs is also used in other areas of medicine e.g. my Dad had a severe heart attack a couple of years back, brought on by a bacterial infection he'd picked up while in Darwin. After collapsing in a heap they decided, with his heart in poor state and his system full of antibiotics, it'd be best if he was very, very inert for a few days until he could pull out of it. He's still kicking I'm happy to say.

 

[RugbyReg]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

cheers NTA, good answer

 

[Mainlander]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

Bit more....

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-14/2301257/Super-14-player-in-coma-after-crash

Super 14 player in coma after crash

Brumbies forward Shawn Mackay is in a coma in a Durban hospital after being hit by a car in the South African city in the wake of the team's loss to the Sharks.

Mackay was apparently struck by the vehicle while trying to get into a taxi early yesteday morning.

The 26-year-old is in an induced coma in St Augustine's Hospital after being admitted to the intensive care unit with serious head and leg injuries.

South African website News24 reported there are fears that Mackay may be paralysed after suffering a vertebra injury along with multiple face and leg fractures.

Sharks team doctor, Dr Craig Springate, said Mackay underwent emergency surgery.

"He has suffered multiple injuries and fractures which can be classified as serious," Springate said.

"There is some concern about paralysis, but we will only know when he recovers from the anaesthetic. The spinal cord is intact but there is some swelling."

The hospital listed his condition as "serious but stable".

Mackay was leaving the Clapham Grand Night Club in Morningside with the rest of his team mates at 4.15am yesterday (local time), when he was hit by a car which drove away and returned to the scene 10 minutes later.

Emergency response spokesman Derrick Banks said: "When paramedics arrived on the scene, they found him lying on the side on the road... he had suffered massive injuries and had to have advanced life support intervention."

Mackay?s injuries have rocked the Brumbies who have suffered losses in successive weeks in South Africa to derail their campaign.

"Shawn is a popular member of the playing group and obviously our thoughts are with him," Brumbies spokesman Nick Smith said.

"While we are still gathering details our primary concern is for Shawn's health and safety."

Durban police have opened a case of reckless and negligent driving.

Mackay, an Australian sevens representative, joined the Brumbies this year from the Waratahs. He came off the bench in the loss to the Sharks.

He can play lock or loose forward and has also played junior league for the Sydney Roosters.

The Brumbies play the Cheetahs in Bloemfontein this weekend.

 

[cyclopath]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

There are other factors with head injuries.
For one, epidural or extradural haematomas can be bastards to diagnose, and since people are normal initially (often) there may not be an indication to do a CT scan to look for one. This I have seen more than once.
In the case of this poor lad, sometimes the coma is induced to be able to control respiration amongst other things, as this is a way to help manipulate pH and C02 levels which can be directly affected by brain swelling, and may also affect it. And of course for the reasons Nick stated of spinal cord immobilisation in the case of a cervical spine fracture / dislocation.
Geez, I hope the poor guy comes through OK.

 

[Spook]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

Poor bugger. I hope he pulls through

 

[Moses]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

BRUMBIES forward Shawn Mackay will remain in a medically induced coma until late today following surgery after he was hit by a car in Durban in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Mackay, 26, suffered a cervical spinal fracture and dislocation, compound fractures to his left tibia and fibula, as well as multiple facial fractures and lacerations from the accident.

Mackay was hit by an armoured response vehicle when crossing the road to board a team security van with several Brumbies teammates after they had left the Clapham Grand nightclub at 4.15am.

The previous evening, Mackay was sitting on the Brumbies reserves bench at Kings Park where the visitors were beaten 35-14 by the Sharks.

South African police are investigating the incident, and the driver of the vehicle, which belonged to an armed response security company, may be charged with reckless and negligent driving. It is believed the driver left the accident scene but returned 10 minutes later.

It is understood that Sharks players Bismarck and Jannie du Plessis were at the nightclub at the time, and that Jannie, a doctor, was among the first to attend to Mackay. It is believed Jannie called the ambulance that took Mackay to Durban's St Augustine's Hospital. Mackay last night was in a critical but stable condition.

ACT officials last night said Mackay's parents and his partner, Trish, yesterday travelled to South Africa to be by his bedside.

"We probably won't know anything further until Tuesday our time," Brumbies spokesman Nick Smith said. "Shawn is in a medically induced coma and, as a result, we are currently in a holding pattern until he comes out of it."

Mackay, who is a Randwick club member, played six games with the Waratahs in 2006 before heading to the Brumbies.

The versatile forward, who can play in the second row and back row, is best known as a sevens player, having represented Australia regularly on the international circuit for the past five years.

Waratahs and Test winger Lote Tuqiri, who has played sevens football with Mackay, yesterday said the entire NSW team was stunned by the news.

"I feel for Shawn, his family and the Brumbies," Tuqiri said. "We [the Waratahs] talked about it today, and all our thoughts are with them. We are all just hoping that Shawn is doing OK."

Waratahs coach Chris Hickey said Mackay's plight would upset the entire Australian rugby fraternity.

"All the boys who play together for all the four Australian Super teams know each other pretty well and it's not good news to hear this," Hickey said. "We just hope that everything goes well in terms of his recovery."

In an unrelated incident, several Brumbies were victims of a team hotel robbery on the same night. Mobile phones and a laptop computer were stolen from a number of the players' rooms in Durban.

 

[spectator]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

As with everyone in OZ I trust this young man makes a speeedy and complete recovery.

 

[Cutter]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

You have probably read this elsewhere, but I posted it on TSF and its worth putting here as well.

A very good article on Shawn Mackay. It also suggests why the players would have been out that late and that Mackay wouldnt have been drunk.

http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/03/31/bi ... t-not-out/

Big Mac - down but not out


I was fortunate enough to be recruited last year as the manager of the Australian Sevens team for tours to Hong Kong, London, Edinburgh and Adelaide. With 20-some years of rugby and touring experience under my belt I thought I was pretty well equipped to handle the job, but it was still a steep learning curve.

(By the way my apologies to all the old hands on the circuit who had to put up with me ? Duke, Sticks, Billy, Rosco, Pete?..you know who you are).

Anyway, one of the biggest days on the calendar was the day after a tournament had ended. Sevens tournaments are exhausting stuff, because unlike a fifteens game, you might play your first game at 10am and your last at 7pm, which means 9 hours of varying levels of activity, plus another two hours on each end of the day to get up, eat, and get to and from the stadium to the hotel.

You do this for two fourteen hour days on Saturday and Sunday, and then get up at the crack of dawn on the Monday to head to your next destination.

Lucky for me, I had a bloke alongside me the whole way who knew exactly what was going on ? the captain and Sevens legend Shawn Mackay. On Mondays, where everyone was tired and grumpy, Macca made it his business to keep the vibe up.

The term for pulling energy away from the team was ?sapping?. Being called a ?sapper? was the biggest insult you could receive on tour, since what it meant was that you were bringing everyone around you down. Travel days were tough though ? and most of us did a bit of sapping on those days, as we were just tired and wanted to get to where we were going.

But not Macca.

He never sapped, he just cruised around with a big grin on his dial. Patting blokes on the back, lifting everyone up, and pouring out the positives.

One of my favourite memories is Macca at Glasgow airport, grinning and holding court as the reigning champion at ?Guess Who??. (For the uninitiated, ?Guess Who? is a children?s face-guessing and memory game which was a popular way of passing time at the departure gate).

The biggest lesson I ever learnt about people management was from Macca at the airport in Hong Kong en route to Adelaide.

There were a couple of mild hangovers about, lots of bumps and bruises and plenty of general match fatigue. As manager it was my job to collect the passports, do the ticketing, see to the oversize baggage, make sure that everyone?s bags made it on the plane and also deal with the excess baggage charges.

I was a bit irritable, and wasn?t afraid to let a few people know it, until Macca cruised up and said (with his big smile on his face) ?Loges, just chill out bruz. It?s your job to keep the vibe positive?. And he was dead right. I was embarrassed for being such a sapper.

The best thing I could do of course, was not focus on my own problems, but work on keeping the vibe positive for everyone else, just like Macca was doing.

From then on I concentrated on trying to out-positive Macca. Of course, it was an impossible task, but it really worked. The power of positive thinking was Macca?s stock in trade, and he knew what he was talking about.

Unfortunately, the big Mac?s reservoir of positive thinking will be sorely tested after he was hit early on Tuesday morning by an speeding armoured security van in Durban whilst on tour with the Brumbies. Although his injuries are known, the effects of them won?t be truly understood for several days.

It?s a rotten blow for a guy who has been not only relentlessly positive about his approach to rugby, but just as relentless in his chase for a Super 14 start.

At Sevens level, Macca was renowned for two things, aside from his positive approach. One was his commitment to games. He has a huge engine beating in that chest, and there were several times in Sevens tournaments where he would come off hurting so much that he simply had to lie down until the pain went away. Of course, he?d be back on his feet and repeating the effort two hours later.

He had huge respect in the Sevens community, because players from other countries knew that Macca wouldn?t quit. Ever.

The other thing you could guarantee was that if Macca had any sort of a niggle, he?d stop at nothing to get it right. The team might be signing autographs and chatting up chicks around the fences post tournament, but Macca would wave them goodbye with a cheery smile and head off to his room to watch a movie cuddled up to a big old bag of ice.

He had a Michaelangelo chassis with not an ounce of fat on it ? testament to his training regime and dietary discipline.

He knew that his dreams weren?t going to be fulfilled by compromising his approach to rugby. Indeed, Andrew Fagan, the Brumbies CEO, told me this morning that Macca had pretty much forced his way into the match day 22 on the back of his relentlessly upbeat approach to training.

So I was surprised to hear that his accident took place at 4am, because it was unlike Macca to be out at that hour anyway, and if he was, it was even less likely that he would have had anything much to drink.

But then I did some sums and some thinking, and realized that not every tour incident is bad behavior. Some of them are just downright, rotten misfortune. This was just an accident of timing.

For an evening match, you run out at 7.30pm. The game doesn?t finish until nearly 9.30, and immediately afterward you have a coordinated recovery session with ice etc followed by shower, dress and on the bus, by which time it is probably 10.30 at least.

Thirty minutes to the hotel and another thirty to have a team meeting and get changed. By the time those who are not doing injury rehab go out, they are dead sober and it is already midnight and they haven?t even been anywhere yet.

Remember here, we?re talking here about young men, who have spent the last two weeks with every minute accounted for. They have a full day off the next day with no training. The Brumbies had organized a secured hotel bus to pick them up from the club en masse at a predetermined series of times. And after two weeks of training/meetings/eating/rehab, everyone needs to let their hair down, or go they?ll go crazy cooped up in a hotel for yet another night. A few hours in contact with the punters at a club is not too much to ask.

No-one reports any skylarking or fooling around. Not the Brumbies, nor the police, nor the club staff who were first on the scene at the accident.

Shawn was simply, and horribly, struck by a speeding armoured security response vehicle whilst crossing the road. The car, which was en route to a security alarm, initially left the scene before returning some ten minutes later.

As I said, it?s rotten luck for a guy who has driven himself so hard to get to where he is today. Andy Friend recruited Macca after watching him run himself into the ground in Edinburgh at the Sevens last year. Macca repaid the faith by training the house down at the Brumbies and forcing his way into the squad.

He?ll need every ounce of that same determination to fight back from his horrific injuries, but if anyone can do it, it will be Macca.

He?s everyone?s mate, and probably the most relentless and upbeat guy I have known. I have no doubt that when he wakes up in a few days time, he?ll smile up from that hospital bed and say ?I?ll be OK. You just gotta be positive?.

And also a response from Bill Millard, the former Australian 7s coach:

Bill Millard said | March 31st 2009 @ 7:49am (2 days ago) | Report comment

Loges - I have never responded to anything on these types of sites but feel an urge to say a few things. Its very frustrating sitting here in Wales - not being able to do anything.

I was Head Coach of the Australian Sevens Team for 4 years and Macca was my Captain for most of those years. We went through some tough times together away from home and I got to know him on and off the field. A coaches delight!!

He was then the first player picked when I coached the Melbourne Rebels in the ARC. At that stage he had a nasty ankle/knee injury and was not expected to play in the ARC at all - it was a risky recruited move and if it was any other player - I wld not have even thought about it.. Mac worked so hard to get it right with our conditioners and medical staff and ended up playing a big role in our last 4 games.

Loges - you described the big man well in your article. I have seen him push his body to limits most guys would not know about - many many times. Once in LA - he was vomiting blood at 1/2 time and was officially gone after 2 big days (as we never subbed him) and NZ were 3 or 4 tries up - we had a young team and had run out of gas. Medical staff advised me to get Macca off - so I told him he was being replaced. He took me to one side and said - ?dont even think abt it Billy - Im going to get into these Kiwis - we can f??..win this!!?. He then got the boys into a huddle and laid down the law. He went out and played the whole 2nd half and lead a great fight back - but we fell short. We literally carried Macca back into to the sheds.

God bless you big fella and I know you will fight hard and pull thru this.

 

[Ash]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

It remains a chance that he could be paralysed Hopefully he will be OK though.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25277972-5002381,00.html

Brumbies forward Shawn Mackay faces more spinal surgery

By Wayne Smith
April 02, 2009

South African doctors have delayed attempts to bring critically injured Brumbies forward Shawn Mackay out of his medically-induced coma in order to perform more spinal surgery on him.

Mackay, who suffered horrific spinal, head and leg injuries when struck by an armed response vehicle in Durban in the early hours of Sunday morning following the Brumbies' loss to the Sharks, was to have been brought out of the coma on Wednesday.

But Brumbies spokesman Nick Smith said on Wednesday that plan had been overturned when doctors decided it was better to keep him as immobile as possible leading into surgery to fuse two of his vertebrae to provide more stability to his spine.

Smith confirmed it remained a possibility that Mackay could have been paralysed by the accident. "But also there is a possibility that he will wake up and have feeling in his arms and legs," he said. "We simply don't know at this stage."

The Brumbies were to have left on Wednesday for Bloemfontein to prepare for their clash on Saturday (local time) with the bottom-placed Cheetahs, but their departure was pushed back 24 hours.

"Rugby is on the backburner at the moment," Smith said. "There is a fair bit of shock still, especially for the guys who were there."

Indeed, with Mackay now receiving the best medical attention South Africa can offer and with his parents and girlfriend now by his bedside, the Brumbies' management now has turned its attention to helping the players cope with the traumatic situation.

Psychologist Pieter Kruger, who has worked previously with sides coached by Andy Friend, has accompanied the Brumbies on their three-match tour and has made himself available to counsel any player who need his help.

The Brumbies management also is holding meetings with the team's leadership group as part of the debriefing process, although Smith stressed there was no inquiry into why a large group of players - including captain George Smith and Wallabies skipper Stirling Mortlock - was coming home from a nightclub at 4.15am when the accident occurred.

"The guys were following team protocol," he said. "They were sticking together and they were using the security van provided to get back to the hotel. The van was shuttling people home during the night."

Friend said it was difficult getting the players to focus on rugby while Mackay was lying in hospital in a coma.

"We trained yesterday and had a good, emotional session," Friend said. "It was therapeutic to just do something physical and allow the guys to let off some steam."

But the Brumbies coach deliberately has delayed naming his side because of the accident. "All players get down if they find out they're not in the side and we don't want to dump bad news on top of bad news," he said.

Still, the Brumbies have come away empty-handed from their two matches so far on tour and Friend will not shirk from reminding them that they cannot allow themselves to be distracted when facing a team that is yet to win a match this season.

"They (the Cheetahs) will be looking at us and thinking we're under the pump. They'll feel we are struggling and vulnerable. It's up to us to go out there and play our brand of rugby. We want to leave South Africa knowing Macca is going to be okay and that we were strong enough to win through all of this."

 

[Mainlander]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

They'll either go out and win it for Shawn, or just wont have the stomach for it.

Bloddy hard to predict.

Another thing about this event is it isn't being reported on in the TV news. Or at least the morning news on 7 & the other channel, 10/9 whatever that has morning news.

 

[Pfitzy]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

'course not Mussy - surely you realise you're living in league country?

 

[Pfitzy]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

He's awake!

[/url]Mackay coming out of coma
April 2, 2009 - 6:56PM

Brumbies Super 14 rugby player Shawn Mackay is coming out of his coma and spinal surgery went well, a team spokesman said on Thursday.

The 26-year-old forward was hit by a car outside a Durban nightclub on Sunday morning.

"The team doctor has reported Shawn is coming out of the coma," team spokesman Nick Smith said in a statement.

"The surgery on his spine went as well as possible and his spine is now stable.

"He has responded to simple questions through blinking his eyes.

"It's still too early to expect much else at this stage and the ongoing process and any development is likely to be a slow process."

Mackay had been in a medically induced coma.

He suffered a cervical spinal fracture and dislocation, a fractured skull as well as a broken leg and multiple facial fractures and lacerations when he was hit by a car.

The incident occurred about 4.15am Durban time on Sunday when Mackay and a number of other Brumbies were leaving a nightclub, having wound down after their Super 14 loss to the Sharks on Saturday night.

Mackay's parents, John and Leonie, and girlfriend Trish flew to South Africa on Tuesday to be by his side.

AAP

 

[PaarlBok]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

Well he is out of his coma, struggle to copy and paste but catch the link
http://www.sport24.co.za/Content/Ru...baedde2a7baa1efc//Brumbies_Mackay_out_of_coma

Thank God for this and pray he'll get back to a normal life! :thumb

 

[RugbyReg]

Re: Shawn Mackay hit by car

anyone know who was with Shawn at the time? THat would have to be a fairly traumatising experience to see him get hit that bad?