Having already mastered acting and dancing, Macy was ready for a new physical challenge. But soon after venturing into the water on a surfing school excursion, her thrill at exploring a new sport was cut short by a serious injury.

After nose-diving off her surfboard, Macy, 15, scraped her head on the ocean floor, leaving her with sand burn above her right eyebrow. 

Mum Jo said Macy seemed fine at first, but 18 hours later it was clear that something wasn’t right. 

“Macy was not herself at all,” she said. “She was absent minded, emotional, tired and easily overwhelmed, had headaches and kept bumping into things. A good writer, normally the words would pour out of her, but now she couldn’t focus.

“Three days after her wipeout, Macy was back at school, but she was overwhelmed by all the classroom noise, couldn’t follow what the teacher was saying and ended up leaving in tears. I picked her up early and made a GP appointment that day.”

Image: Macy's injury after nose-diving off her surfboard

A GP diagnosed Macy with a concussion and when her symptoms didn’t improve, she was referred to a sports doctor and physiotherapist.

But the turning point came when the family was alerted by a friend to a news story about MCRI’s new concussion clinic.  

“It was amazing that we found the clinic, a relief and a blessing,” Jo said. “There was hope that Macy could recover and receive all the specialist care she needed in the one location.” 

Jo said the clinic with physiotherapy, psychology and specialist medical care was a turning point for Macy’s recovery.

“We didn’t have to convince the clinic staff of anything, they understood concussion immediately,” she said. “Macy finally had the practical support she needed and the team liaised with her school, recommending tailored adjustments. This helped teachers understand what Macy was going through and eased her return to learning.”

Jo said while attending eight sessions at the clinic, Macy gradually improved. 

“Her recovery took about five months, which left her frustrated and frightened at times,” she said. “But the girl who walked into the clinic and the one who walked out were completely different.

“Macy is now back to enjoying everyday life again. She’s dancing, telling stories and further nurturing her gift of acting and tackling different acting roles.”

Image: MCRI Prof Vicki Anderson, physio Katie Davies, Macy and her mum Jo at the clinic

A new MCRI-led study has found children after receiving early, multidisciplinary care designed to treat persistent symptoms. 

The results reveal at three months post‑injury, 62.5 per cent of children who accessed treatment from MCRI’s Concussion Essentials intervention fully recovered, compared with 37 per cent receiving standard care. Additionally, early intervention greatly reduced the risk of physical and mental symptoms from becoming entrenched with 94 per cent of children experiencing improvements.

Learn more about MCRI’s concussion clinic and research.