The wife of former Warriors' player Ben Lythe will never walk again after severing her spine when she hurtled off a flying fox and crashed into a pile of rubble.
Mardie Lythe, 37, underwent surgery to fuse her spine after the accident on a friend's farm in Auckland last week.
The athletic mother of four can still move her upper body, but doctors at Auckland Hospital have told her there is zero chance she will ever walk again.
A keen runner and horse rider, she now faces four months of rehabilitation in a spinal unit before she can make the difficult transition to life at home in a wheelchair.
The rugby league community has rallied its support, with the Warriors and former teammates contributing to a trust fund to help the family.
Mother-in-law Mary Lythe said the accident happened on a flying fox at a friend's privately owned farm in Albany on Thursday.
The flying fox sloped up at the end, and Mardie was "flung off the end" like she had gone over the handlebars of a bike.
"She hurtled off over it, apparently, and onto some rubble, so it severed her spine."
Mrs Lythe said the flying fox had been safely used by others, including children, but exactly why her daughter-in-law came off it was unclear.
"I don't know if they'll ever know, but it's unusual for somebody like her to let go. It's just a freaky accident, because she's a very athletic girl - she's used to all of these things."
Brother-in-law Nick Margison said doctors suspected Mardie had blacked out before she fell off the flying fox.
But she was still heavily sedated, so they had not yet got the full story from her.
Mrs Lythe said it was tragic for somebody so sporty to be unable to use her legs again.
"I was looking at her lovely active body and I thought, 'Oh, how tragic - the legs won't move, those beautiful legs."
But she said nobody was to blame. "It's just one of those tragic accidents."
Mrs Lythe said her son was now focused on looking after the couple's four daughters - aged 7, 10, 13 and 16 - who were trying to stay positive.
"The kids have already looked up on the internet her events for the Paralympics."
Mrs Lythe said her son had been "strong and very practical".
"He's quite resilient, so it's just another challenge, really."
He planned to return to his outdoor landscaping job, but would have to reduce his hours to be there for the children.
"He'll have to be mum and dad, but he's got lots of family support and lots of people ringing to help," Mrs Lythe said.
The family lives in a two-storey house in Milford, on Auckland's North Shore, but would need to find a single-storey house so Mardie could get around in a wheelchair.
They hoped to remain in the area because the children were all involved in sports there.
Mr Margison has set up a trust fund so his brother-in-law can take time off work to look after the children and find a rental without stairs that will allow wheelchair access to be built.
He said the children were devastated.
"When she gets home it will be a massive change - they probably don't realise what a change it will be. But they're trying to stay positive."
Mr Margison said he was encouraged by support from Ben Lythe's former teammates at the Warriors, the Mount Albert Lions and the Glenora Bears, who had contributed to the trust fund.
"They're obviously not going to make her walk again, but it's going to go a long way to help them try to get their life back together."
Former Warrior Awen Guttenbeil is working with the old boys' network to generate support, while Warriors' chief executive Wayne Scurrah said the club would donate $5000 towards the fund.
"Our hearts go out to Ben, Mardie and their family at this terrible time," Scurrah said.
Guttenbeil said it was devastating news for Ben.
"As soon as everyone heard, the former staff and players from all of the clubs he's been involved with (Warriors, Glenora, Mt Albert) were putting up their hands and offering to help out in any way.
"The Warriors have already donated $5000 and I would like to think the old boys would at least match that sum.
"We want to support them, and want them to know everyone is thinking of them. It's a massive shock.
"Ben was a very popular teammate. You couldn't find a more likeable bloke.
Lythe made five NRL appearances for the Warriors in 2000, represented New Zealand Residents and played extensively on the Auckland club scene and in the old Bartercard Cup competition.
- Matthew Backhouse of APNZ
