'Never give up': Hannah's message after a life-changing spinal cord injury

On the morning of 28 December 2008, Hannah Robinson made a split-second decision that changed her life.

She was 23, traveling with her then boyfriend – now husband – Ian, on a road trip to New Plymouth. After stopping in Tauranga to visit friends and family, Hannah decided to have a quick swim in a private pool while everyone else was showering.

She had not been in the pool before. A confident swimmer, she knew how to dive, but in that moment, she did what thousands of New Zealanders do every summer – she assumed it would be fine.

 

“I thought, ‘I’ll just have a quick swim’,” Hannah remembers. “I hadn’t been in the pool before. That’s probably a really key thing — not to dive into a swimming pool if you haven’t actually been in it before.”

She dived in, immediately knew it was not a good dive, and hit the bottom of the pool. She felt and heard a pop. At first, she thought she had simply hit her head badly. Then she tried to move.

“I went, ‘I can’t actually move. This is really bad.’ I just kind of floated to the surface. I had no idea I’d broken my neck. I didn’t even know breaking your neck was a thing, to be honest. At 23, it just wasn’t in my world.”

Ian came outside at exactly the right time. At first, he thought Hannah was joking. They had met through acting and performing arts, and from the edge of the pool she looked like she might have been playing a prank.

“He saved me, basically,” she says. “I was thinking I’ve got about 30 seconds of holding my breath left and I don’t know what’s going to happen here.”

Ian pulled her from the water and called for help. Hannah’s auntie, a nurse, quickly realised something was seriously wrong when Hannah said she felt as if her legs were sticking up in the air, even though they were not.

An ambulance was called. She spent two weeks in Tauranga Hospital before being transferred to the Auckland Spinal Unit for four months of recovery and adjustment.

Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day

Nearly 18 years on, Hannah’s experience is a powerful reminder of why Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day, held on 5 September each year, matters.

The day is about recognising the challenges people face when they sustain spinal cord injuries, but it is also about prevention. It asks all of us to move from awareness to action.

According to the New Zealand Spinal Cord Injury Registry (NZSCIR) there were 162 traumatic spinal cord injuries in 2025.

The Registry aims to record every new spinal cord injury (SCI) in New Zealand each year. Basic statistics are collected to help SCI services track how many people sustain a SCI, what the causes are (both as a result of an accident or illness), the severity and what treatments achieve better outcomes.

The daily reality of a spinal cord injury

Now 41, Hannah lives near Mount Taranaki with Ian and their three daughters.

Her life is full of family, community, work and parenting, but the impact of her injury remains part of her daily reality.

Hannah has had a significant recovery. She can walk, although not easily, and also uses a wheelchair. That experience means she understands the assumptions people make about disability, especially when it is not always visible.

“Sometimes I’m in a wheelchair and sometimes I’m not, and sometimes I might have a walking stick and sometimes I don’t,” she says.

“People judge you very differently depending on whether you’re in a wheelchair or you’ve got crutches or you don’t.”

For Hannah, that is one of the reasons awareness days matter. She says many people do not fully understand what a spinal cord injury or impairment can mean unless they know someone living with one.

Prevention first and feet first

Hannah is grateful for the care and support she received, and for New Zealand’s specialist spinal units.

She also recognises the importance of ACC-funded help with modifications, rehabilitation, equipment and compensation in giving injured people space to focus on recovery.

“The support of ACC made things a lot easier. It gave me the chance to focus on my recovery and I am forever grateful.”

As summer approaches, Hannah’s advice is simple: never dive or jump into water before checking the depth and what is beneath the surface. Living near Mt Taranaki, she often sees young people jumping into rivers and knows how quickly one moment can change your life.

“Don’t jump before you check the depth,” she says. “At least go feet first. It seems like a really simple piece of advice, but the amount of people who don’t — because you’re living in the moment — is scary. You just don’t know what you’re jumping into.”

This advice is supported by Maria Van den Heuvel, Charge Nurse Manager, Burwood Hospital: “Having fun in the water is something we all enjoy, but we need to be alert to hazards,” says Van den Heuvel.

“It pays to stop, pause, and think before you decide to dive headfirst into water - be it into a river, swimming pool or ocean - consider the depth, hidden rocks, shifting sandbars, and tidal changes over the course of the day.”

“While comprehensive rehabilitation is provided at New Zealand’s two Spinal Units - the best outcome is not to need our services in the first place.”