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Those are the words of Andrew Regan who has been left as an incomplete quadriplegic following a spinal injury sustained during a game of rugby union in April.
Mr Regan was playing for Emus in a Blowes Clothing Cup second grade fixture in NSW's central west on April 23 when he suffered a broken neck.
Coach of the second grade side, Al Hattersley, said players and fans alike were in a state of shock.
"You're aware that there are risks when you play any contact sport, but you would never expect that it would happen at your club," he said.
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Immediately after sustaining the injury, Mr Regan was unable to feel anything from the chest down. He received significant medical assistance on the rugby field and, following investigations at Orange Base Hospital, was priority airlifted to Royal North Shore Hospital.
Upon arrival, he went straight into surgery for a procedure which lasted eight hours.
His surgeons determined he had sustained significant damage to his C4 and C5 vertebrae. His spinal cord, however, was not severed, although it was severely damaged.
After several days of intubation post-surgery, the husband and father began his road to recovery. At this point, he is paralysed from the chest down.
"While we are effectively a single income household for now, we are incredibly rich in support," Mr Regan said.
"I love my wife and my baby and my family and friends and I will get out of this and life will look very different for me, but still be very full."
While he, his wife Jessie Davies and their 12-month-old son Gus remain hopeful of a best-case scenario, his road to recovery will be long, difficult and expensive.
In light of this, a GoFundMe page titled 'rally for Reegs' was set up to help the family. In the first 24 hours, more than $165,000 was raised.
Mr Hattersley said there had been "overwhelming support."
"It's not only an Emus thing. Just the wider rugby community in general, there has been so many people reach out to either the club, or to different individuals to see if they can help or provide any form of assistance," he said.
"That's been uplifting in what will be a life-changing event.
"It's not only the Orange community. These guys have lived and immersed themselves in communities, either through work or sport. I suppose that is why they are so rich in support from just a huge, huge array of people.
"It's a phenomenal effort from a lot of people and it goes to show how highly regarded, both him and his wife Jessie are."
Any funds raised from this campaign will go directly to Mr Regan and his wife, to help meet their needs and living expenses moving forward, including medical expenses, rehabilitation, accommodation, necessary medical equipment, and the needs of their son Gus.