Freddy Tylicki, who was paralyzed from the waist down in a fall at Kempton in October, remains in a positive frame of mind as he prepares to embark on a programme of rehabilitation to help him adjust to the challenges that he will be faced with in future.
“I'm going to be moved to rehab in the next couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to that, as it will be the next chapter in life, Tylicki told Matt Chapman in The Sun. “I've been in this hospital bed over five weeks and I have to say the doctors and nurses could not have been better–but it's been very intense.”
Tylicki continued, “Going to rehab is something I'm really looking forward to as they are fully specialised and focused on patients like myself. They will show me how to dress myself, how to make my own bed, how to go swimming, how to drive a car.”
Tylicki, whose sister Madeleine trained her first winner in Ireland recently when First To Boogie (Ire) (Tobougg {Ire}) landed a gamble at Punchestown in November, remains realistic despite his obvious hopes that future technological advances could provide a breakthrough for patients with similar spinal injuries.
“It's hard to talk about the future. Even harder for me as I've never experienced anything like this,” said Tylicki. “The doctors have been very realistic, though. The impact on my spine was very, very hard because of the speed we went. But no one knows. I could be feeling something in one month or three months down the road. There's a lot of bruising in my body that needs to heal.”
Up until his accident, Tylicki had enjoyed his best ever season in the saddle having guided James Fanshawes's Speedy Boarding (GB) (Shamardal) to two Group 1 victories over the summer.
A fundraising drive set up soon after Tylicki's fall showed the solidarity that exists within the sport of racing and it generated over £300,000 to help the German-born jockey adapt to a new way of life.
“I have to thank everyone really for all the support they have been giving me,” concluded Tylicki. ” If you think about it, it's quite hard to believe.”
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