‘She’s my hero’: 10-year-old girl relearns life after playground fall left her quadriplegic

After eight months in hospital, a 10-year-old girl left paralyzed by a playground fall is preparing to return home. Carol Charles reports.

What may seem like a simple movement for most people has become part of a daily physiotherapy routine for 10-year-old Finnley Hynes.

Early last year, she was a very physically active child, that all changed after a tragic playground fall in May 2025.

“I knew something was wrong” Craig Hynes, Finnley’s father, remembers the moment vividly.

“We were sitting at home when Finnley’s friend came into the house and said Finnley was hurt,” he said. “I went into the backyard and saw Finnley on the ground. I kind of knew right away something was wrong. She was looking into the sky and said, ‘I can’t feel my legs.’”

Words cannot describe the pain and fear her family has endured since that day.

“It was the toughest day of my life, honestly, knowing that something was wrong,” Craig said, hanging his head in silence.

Finnley fractured her cervical spine in the fall, leaving her quadriplegic. She was rushed to SickKids Hospital, where she underwent cervical spine fusion surgery, before being transferred to Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation Hospital. It’s a place she has now called home for the past eight months.

Every day, Finnley works tirelessly through physiotherapy and occupational therapy, relearning how to navigate life.

“She gets up every day and goes to her physio and her OT,” said her mother, Melissa Morrison. “She’s learning how, at a very young age, to live life again. We had to pivot. She’s had to learn new things, but she just does it with a smile.”

Hospital staff say Finnley’s progress has been amazing.

“She’s awake, she’s participating, she’s engaged in therapy,” said Dr. Fisher. “She uses a power chair, she’s feeding herself, she’s working on sitting independently and doing transfers. It’s really been amazing to see that progress.”

For her parents, every milestone is a proud moment.

“She’s my hero,” Melissa said. “She is unbelievable.”

She also expressed deep gratitude toward the hospital staff and her Oshawa community.

“People dropped off food. Bills were paid,” Melissa said. “It was never-ending, and it still hasn’t stopped. The generosity and kindness of people and strangers — we are so grateful.”

Finnley is scheduled to be released from the hospital next month. However, before she can return home, the family’s house needs to be made wheelchair accessible.

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help cover the cost of retrofitting their home. So far, more than $40,000 has been raised.