Australian Paralympic equestrian athlete Emma Booth has reunited with the surgeon who saved her life 12 years ago – coming together to 'put her back together a second time'.
In 2013, Emma was involved in a devastating car accident that injured her spinal cord and caused paraplegia. In the following years, she went on to compete at the highest levels in para-dressage, including the 2016 and 2020 Paralympic Games.
But recently, she had been experiencing "constant discomfort and pain" that had begun to impact her both physically and mentally.
"I was dealing with severe lower back pain and persistent nerve pain in my left leg. The pain made it impossible to sleep, leaving me completely exhausted and feeling like a zombie," Emma said.
"I began to think, this is how my life will be from now on. I felt resigned to living in constant discomfort and pain."
After 18 months of consulting various specialists, Emma decided to reconnect with her original spinal surgeon, John Cunningham OAM.
After extensive scans and further consultation, A/Prof Cunningham determined that there was bone pushing on a nerve below Emma's existing fusion, likely due to the ongoing load on that area of her spine.
Emma had surgery at Epworth Richmond just two weeks later, which included a second spinal fusion to decompress her pinched nerves and insert rods and screws to stabilise her spine to her pelvis.
"When I made the decision to get it done, one part of me thought 'I really don't want to have to go through another major spinal surgery'. It was daunting and confronting. But ultimately, once I made the decision, I wanted to get it over and done with," she said.
"The first couple of weeks following surgery were challenging. Physically, it was a struggle as I was very restricted and in discomfort, but now I am starting to feel more like myself. It is a big relief.
"John Cunningham not only saved my life years ago, enabling me to live fully and achieve success as a world-class competitor, but he has now helped to greatly improve my quality of life for my future.
"I am extremely grateful to John and everybody at Epworth for putting me back together again."
Emma is now squarely focused on recovering in time for the next World Championships qualifying events in early 2026.
A/Prof Cunningham said this was another example of the "unbelievable determination" he had witnessed following Emma's initial surgery.
"All surgeons who deal with trauma get to know their patients at one of the lowest points of their lives," Cunningham said.
"To see Emma bounce back and compete in two Paralympics after her accident is an inspiration to any athlete, and especially any who have had a spinal cord injury."
