Family shares Ben hope

The family of a Safety Bay teenager who was injured in a motocross accident earlier this month are positive he will walk again.

Three weeks ago during a warm-up lap, 16-year-old Ben Sainsbury was flung over his handlebars as he rode over a small jump.

He landed head-first and his motorbike slammed into his back, the impact shattering two vertebrae and severely damaging his spinal cord.

He also sustained broken ribs and a torn spleen.

Ben underwent surgery to insert two rods from his T2 to T10 and screws to stabilise his vertebrae and has since been transferred to Fiona Stanley Hospital for intensive rehabilitation.

Elder sister Cassie Strebel said Ben could use his arms but could not feel anything below his chest.

“He is in really good spirits and is extremely positive and strong-willed,” she said.

“All of us have no doubt that Ben will walk again.

“It might not be out of here and it might not be anytime soon, but we have faith that he will.”

Ben was training for a State competition when he was injured at his local track.

“Ben did everything possible to be safe and has always been a careful rider,” Mrs Strebel said.

“He has ridden that track thousands of times and was wearing $3000 worth of safety equipment.”

Mrs Strebel said Ben’s physiotherapy involved working on his upper strength so he could get into his chair without the use of a hoist.

A friend has started a fund for Ben’s rehabilitation and the teenager’s uncle Neil Dunne and family friend Jamie Brockman, a former motocross rider who was left a quadriplegic after a 2003 crash, are planning a fundraising auction.

There is also a Facebook page called Boots out for Ben.

Speaking to the Telegraph on Monday, Ben said he was thankful for the generosity of his supporters.

“It’s made this journey a lot easier,” he said

The GoFundMe page has raised close to $29,000 and funds will go towards a chair, hoists and ramps for home.

Visit Boots out for Ben on Facebook or gofundme.com/ supporting-bens-road-to- recovery.