'Pool of blood': Aussie musician Darren Hayes reveals horrific injuries after suffering freak accident while getting out of bed
Aussie pop star Darren Hayes has revealed he nearly died after suffering a 'terrible accident' in his home.
The 52-year-old Savage Garden singer took to social media over the weekend to tell fans he had suffered a broken jaw in March.
The incident, which could have been fatal, resulted in Hayes also losing multiple teeth after fainting when he got out of bed.
After posting to Instagram with an image of his broken jaw taken on March 17, Hayes admitted he tried to keep the news private but his lengthy recovery period has made it 'easier to admit the truth'.
"I lost consciousness - I fainted shortly after getting out of bed and collapsed three times, losing consciousness each time. The blunt force trauma was so severe, it snapped my left jawbone in half. I woke up in a pool of blood, terrible pain in my left side of my head and with nine teeth shattered,' Hayes said.
"I'm so lucky that I was found and taken to the amazing team at the emergency room of St John's Providence in Santa Monica, where they acted quickly.
"I could have died if I landed in a different position."
Hayes was thankful for the 'incredible' surgeons who inserted a titanium brace to reconnect his jaw bones, and said his mouth was wired shut for a minimum of 8 weeks during the healing period.
The To The Moon and Back hitmaker, best known as part of the 1990s duo Savage Garden, still has no idea what caused him to faint in the first place.
Hayes explained he had been suffering lightheadedness and fainting spells prior to the accident.
He assured fans he was under the incredible care of a cardiologist and an oral surgeon.
'So far, my heart is normal, my arteries are normal, and I don't have a brain tumor or anything that could cause the accident,' he said.
The pop star assured fans he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs, with the accident being a 'complete shock'.
Hayes finished his post with a special mention to his family and doctors for looking after him during his health journey.
'I'm so grateful to my loved ones for coming to my rescue and to the doctors and nurses that have treated me with such care,' he said.
'After surviving a brutal divorce, losing my mother, finding out my father had died and then this, I have moments of deep sadness. But I am a survivor and I'll come back strong.'
Hayes were previously married to British screenwriter Richard Cullen from 2006 to 2024.
He rose to fame in Aussie band Savage Garden, releasing huge hits Truly, Madly, Deeply and The Animal Song during the 1990s.
In 2023 his Do You Remember? Tour travelled around six Australian cities.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
‘Need a pay rise': Aussies shocked by nurse's salary
A young nurse, who works up to 16 hours a day, has shocked social media users after revealing how much she gets paid. She was recently stopped on the streets of Brisbane for an interview by jobs app, Getahead, where she revealed she earns $78,000 a year working as an enrolled nurse. The worker is on the verge of finishing her registered nursing degree and plans to either continue working in her current hospital or become an army medic. During the interview, she revealed that she works between 8 to 16 hour shifts as a cardiovascular respiratory nurse, which she described as 'quite an intense job'. 'I am a carer for my grandfather. He had a heart attack a couple of years ago, [which] kind of got me into the specialty,' she said, adding that she had also cared for her grandmother when she was diagnosed with cancer. 'I just love the aspect of giving back to everyone, looking after people when they can't look after themselves is a massive thing.' When asked if she thought hospitals and the government were doing enough to 'look after' nurses, the young Aussie said she didn't think so. 'We have to fight so much for our pay increases and for our rights,' she said. 'I don't think a lot of people see how much we struggle and how emotionally exhausted we are sometimes.' The nurse said she and other people in the industry could 'definitely' do with more help and benefits. Since being shared two days ago the video has gained tens of thousands of views, with commenters sharing their shock at how much nurses really earn. 'Nurses all deserve better pay! Governments always say their nurses are valued and important but never pay them properly,' one person said. Another claimed that rate was 'too low', while another said all nurses 'need a good pay rise'. One person wrote: 'Definitely one of the most accurate interviews I've seen for nursing. Love this conversation! As a nurse I 100% agree, it's a constant battle for pay increases and for better working rights. Nurses don't get enough recognition.' According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statics, the average salary for a registered nurse in Queensland ranges from $79,058 to $106,144. An enrolled nurse salary in Queensland ranges from $71,234 to $82,599. Meanwhile, the average salary for a nurse in NSW ranges from $69,810 to $98,014. Victorian nurses have capped salaries at just below $130,000, making them among the highest paid in the country. In NSW the top classification for a registered nurse caps out at just under 100,000 in Queensland it peaks at $106,144 This is not the first time people have been left horrified after finding out how poorly some of our nurses are being paid. Earlier this year in another Getahead interview a nurse working at a private Brisbane hospital revealed that she earns around $33 an hour. 'I also work in a kitchen at the same hospital,' she added. Her admission sparked multiple stunned responses from social media users, with one person claiming there was 'no way' Australia was 'paying their nurses this low'. 'It's a joke here,' another said, with one adding: 'I make more as a barista, what?' Even though there was shock online around the woman's earnings, she claimed the 'pay' was one of the parts she loved most when it came to the job, along with 'going home to sleep'. Despite her joking response, the young worker said nurse was something she could see herself doing 'forever' and said more nurses are 'definitely needed' in Australia.
West Australian
a day ago
- West Australian
Australian doctors raise alarm over electric scooter crash carnage
Doctors across the country are growing increasingly alarmed about the scale of carnage from electric scooter crashes, with one trauma specialist saying his team now confronts 'terrible injuries' daily. Professor Dieter Weber, head of trauma services at Royal Perth Hospital, told the ABC's Stateline program this week that his doctors confronted 'broken bones, significant internal organ injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries', often leaving patients with 'lasting lifelong effects'. 'The facilities here at the state trauma centre allow us to give our patients the best possible care, but sadly … the pathway to try to get back to as normal a life is not always possible with these terrible injuries that we're seeing,' he said. 'We're seeing the whole range of injuries from broken bones, significant internal organ injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord this enormous group of patients that we've had to treat from injuries that are preventable.' His warning comes as Perth residents grapple with the shock death of Thanh Phan, 51, following an e-scooter crash in the CBD. Police allege British tourist Alicia Kemp was riding an e-scooter while intoxicated when she struck Mr Phan. She has been charged with dangerous driving causing death. Mr Phan was critically injured in the crash and died in hospital on Tuesday. Mr Phan's family have remembered him as a 'beloved husband, father of two, brother and dear friend'. 'We ask that the media respect the privacy of Thanh's family as they grieve their loss,' the family statement said. 'We also call for a review of the governance and safety regulations surrounding hired e-scooters to help prevent further serious incidents that put lives at risk.' The City of Perth has now suspended the use of hired e-scooters. The ban follows a vote from the City of Melbourne to outlaw hired e-scooters, though private scooters are still allowed across Victoria. Professor Weber's remarks also come as a new report from doctors and researchers in Queensland highlight a 'significant risk' to children from e-scooters. The report, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health this week, analysed 176 child e-scooter injury cases that presented to Sunshine Coast University Hospital between January 2023 and December 2024. The research found 71 per cent of cases were male, falls accounted for 78 per cent of crashes, while 13 per cent involved motor vehicles. Helmet noncompliance was documented in 42 per cent of the presentations, 12 per cent involved doubling, and 36 per cent exceeded the 25km/h speed limit. Further, fractures occurred in 37 per cent of cases, 18 per cent required computerised tomography scans and 11 per cent sustained life-threatening or potentially life-threatening injuries. The researchers warn e-scooter-related injuries among children are 'on the rise' and want to see Queensland's minimum age limit raised to 16 for all riders. 'While e-scooters do offer some transportation advantages, their use among children and adolescents raises significant safety concerns that cannot be ignored,' the report concludes. 'This study sheds light on the prevalence and severity of e-scooter-related injuries in this population in Queensland and underscores the importance of targeted interventions to mitigate these risks. 'We believe policymakers should urgently revisit the age limits in Queensland to ensure the safety of the state's youth until improved safety measures such as better speed-restricted e-scooters and driving proficiency tests have been implemented and demonstrated a significant risk reduction.' Queensland permits children aged between 12 and 15 to ride scooters if they are accompanied by an adult. Despite the rise in injuries, the researchers also warn there is no dedicated data collection system in place for e-scooter trauma. 'There are no pediatric-specific data on e-scooter trauma in Queensland, leaving policy change bereft of meaningful evidence to refine and strengthen current regulations,' the report states. Australia has a hodgepodge system of e-scooter regulations. In May, the NSW government announced a new 'framework' for e-scooter laws in the state. The new regulations would allow e-scooters to go on shared paths, with a default speed limit of 10-20km/h, and a 20km/h speed limit on roads that are signposted at 50km/h and below. E-scooters would be legal for independent riders over 16 years of age. 'These devices are creating an evolution in how people move around, and that's a good thing, but we need to get the balance right,' NSW Transport Minister John Graham said last month. 'There's still a lot of work to do, but this provides a clear path forward when it comes to properly integrating and regulating this relatively new form of transport.'
Perth Now
a day ago
- Perth Now
Doctors' blunt warning on e- scooters
Doctors across the country are growing increasingly alarmed about the scale of carnage from electric scooter crashes, with one trauma specialist saying his team now confronts 'terrible injuries' daily. Professor Dieter Weber, head of trauma services at Royal Perth Hospital, told the ABC's Stateline program this week that his doctors confronted 'broken bones, significant internal organ injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries', often leaving patients with 'lasting lifelong effects'. 'The facilities here at the state trauma centre allow us to give our patients the best possible care, but sadly … the pathway to try to get back to as normal a life is not always possible with these terrible injuries that we're seeing,' he said. 'We're seeing the whole range of injuries from broken bones, significant internal organ injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord this enormous group of patients that we've had to treat from injuries that are preventable.' His warning comes as Perth residents grapple with the shock death of Thanh Phan, 51, following an e-scooter crash in the CBD. Police allege British tourist Alicia Kemp was riding an e-scooter while intoxicated when she struck Mr Phan. Professor Dieter Weber treats e-scooter injuries as the head of trauma services at Royal Perth Hospital. Supplied Credit: Supplied Electric scooters are an increasingly popular method of travel. NewsWire / Ian Currie Credit: News Corp Australia She has been charged with dangerous driving causing death. Mr Phan was critically injured in the crash and died in hospital on Tuesday. Mr Phan's family have remembered him as a 'beloved husband, father of two, brother and dear friend'. 'We ask that the media respect the privacy of Thanh's family as they grieve their loss,' the family statement said. 'We also call for a review of the governance and safety regulations surrounding hired e-scooters to help prevent further serious incidents that put lives at risk.' The City of Perth has now suspended the use of hired e-scooters. The ban follows a vote from the City of Melbourne to outlaw hired e-scooters, though private scooters are still allowed across Victoria. Professor Weber's remarks also come as a new report from doctors and researchers in Queensland highlight a 'significant risk' to children from e-scooters. The report, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health this week, analysed 176 child e-scooter injury cases that presented to Sunshine Coast University Hospital between January 2023 and December 2024. The research found 71 per cent of cases were male, falls accounted for 78 per cent of crashes, while 13 per cent involved motor vehicles. Thanh Phan died after he was struck by an e-scooter in the Perth CBD. ABC Credit: ABC Helmet noncompliance was documented in 42 per cent of the presentations, 12 per cent involved doubling, and 36 per cent exceeded the 25km/h speed limit. Further, fractures occurred in 37 per cent of cases, 18 per cent required computerised tomography scans and 11 per cent sustained life-threatening or potentially life-threatening injuries. The researchers warn e-scooter-related injuries among children are 'on the rise' and want to see Queensland's minimum age limit raised to 16 for all riders. 'While e-scooters do offer some transportation advantages, their use among children and adolescents raises significant safety concerns that cannot be ignored,' the report concludes. 'This study sheds light on the prevalence and severity of e-scooter-related injuries in this population in Queensland and underscores the importance of targeted interventions to mitigate these risks. 'We believe policymakers should urgently revisit the age limits in Queensland to ensure the safety of the state's youth until improved safety measures such as better speed-restricted e-scooters and driving proficiency tests have been implemented and demonstrated a significant risk reduction.' Research analysed e-scooter crash presentations at Sunshine Coast University Hospital. NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar Credit: NewsWire Queensland permits children aged between 12 and 15 to ride scooters if they are accompanied by an adult. Despite the rise in injuries, the researchers also warn there is no dedicated data collection system in place for e-scooter trauma. 'There are no pediatric-specific data on e-scooter trauma in Queensland, leaving policy change bereft of meaningful evidence to refine and strengthen current regulations,' the report states. Australia has a hodgepodge system of e-scooter regulations. In May, the NSW government announced a new 'framework' for e-scooter laws in the state. The new regulations would allow e-scooters to go on shared paths, with a default speed limit of 10-20km/h, and a 20km/h speed limit on roads that are signposted at 50km/h and below. E-scooters would be legal for independent riders over 16 years of age. 'These devices are creating an evolution in how people move around, and that's a good thing, but we need to get the balance right,' NSW Transport Minister John Graham said last month. 'There's still a lot of work to do, but this provides a clear path forward when it comes to properly integrating and regulating this relatively new form of transport.'
