The victim of a shocking rollercoaster accident has already stared down death after a horrific car crash last year and only recently learned how to walk again.
Ms Rodden, 26, remains in a critical condition at Royal Melbourne Hospital after she walked onto a section of the 350m-long track at the Royal Melbourne Show on Sunday night and was struck by a carriage.
It is believed Ms Rodden was trying to retrieve a dropped phone from beneath the track when she was struck and lifted nine metres into the air before falling.
Her family says she suffered “horrific” injuries including several broken bones and brain damage.
Now it has been revealed she was involved in a horror crash in January 2021 in a car that flipped on the Western Ring Road after ploughing into a truck and a car.
It was reported by local media at the time she was not wearing a seatbelt and was flung from the car onto the road.
Shylah survived the crash but needed significant rehabilitation to get back on her feet.
Her gruelling path to recovery came after yet another serious car crash in 2019.
Trolls target victim
Trolls have used the troubled past of Ms Rodden to criticise her father’s Facebook post as his daughter fights for life.
On Facebook, her grieving father Alan Rodden shared a link to an article about his daughter’s plight. Dozens of people responded with messages of solidarity, but one person used the platform to raise Ms Rodden’s troubled past.
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One woman commented beneath Mr Rodden’s post: “don’t feel sorry for this one”.
She shared two screenshots from news articles linking Ms Rodden to matters previously before the Courts. It is not suggested that Ms Rodden has been convicted of any wrongdoing.
Other social media users were shocked by her comments and responded.
“Have a bit of a heart, keep your comments to yourself,” one wrote.
“Why would you post this on the dads (sic) post,” another wrote.
The woman later deleted her comment and apologised.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Ms Rodden’s sister Caisha said spreading false rumours about the accident was “sad” and revealed her sibling was “fighting for her life.”
Her sister also confirmed Shylah was on a break while working at a stall at the show when the tragedy occurred.
“Shylah is in critical condition and we won’t know more until later today as we will be discussing with police and giving some eye witness statements.”
A friend of Ms Rodden told news.com.au that the 26-year-old was “a beautiful, bright, fun, bubbly girl who is full of life” and somebody who “sees the best in people”.
The tragedy for the Rodden family comes less than two months they lost Ms Rodden’s brother Jason.
In a post on social media, she wrote that her “world came crashing down”.
“Dad sat me down and told me that my brother had passed away,” she wrote on July 27.
“He wasn’t just my big brother, he was my best friend, my everything, the person I looked up to and inspired to be like.
“He taught me so much in life, he showed me the difference between right and wrong and he was never afraid to tell me how he really feels.
“It doesn’t feel real, I keep thinking you’ll call me back.”
Ms Rodden’s father Alan Rodden is now facing the prospect of losing another child.
Speaking to media on Monday, he said he was still not certain what to believe about the incident that has left his daughter in a critical condition.
“There are a lot of stories going around and I don’t know which one is true and if someone is covering their tracks,” he told the Daily Mail.
He said his daughter suffered “horrific” injuries and was fighting for her life.
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“The injuries are horrific. Horrific. She’s brain damaged. It’s pelvic, her arms, legs, back, neck - there’s hardly a thing that’s not broken,” he said.
“I just can’t work out how the hell so much damage has been done. Even the doctors have said they haven’t seen anything as bad as this for a long time.”
As WorkSafe investigates the incident, the CEO of the Melbourne Royal Show is refusing to speculate about the events that led to the young woman’s injuries.
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