Australian actress, model and singer Alli Simpson has said is “extremely lucky to be alive” after breaking her neck diving into a pool.

The star, who is the sister of musician Cody Simpson, shared the news on social media, posting pictures and video footage from the Gold Coast University Hospital in Queensland – saying her 2022 is “not off to a great start” as she has also tested positive for COVID-19.

Simpson said she injured her neck diving into a swimming pool and that she will need a neck brace for the next four months while she recovers.

A post shared by Alli Simpson (@allisimpson)

She told her 1.2 million followers on Instagram that she has two severe fractures in her neck, just missing her spinal cord, and that she had medical scans following the accident on New Year’s Eve and been assessed by a neurosurgeon.

However, luckily, she said she does not need immediate surgery.

“I have been sent home in a hard neck brace that I’ll be living in 24/7 for the next 4 months as my neck hopefully heals itself,” the star wrote. “I am extremely lucky to be alive and/or not quadriplegic as it JUST missed my spinal chord.”

Simpson continued to say she will remain positive. “The way I see it, four months is a drop in the ocean when it comes to the rest of my happy & healthy life.. as you can imagine, I have been in endless tears and thanking every guardian angel watching over me in the pool that night plus every moment since.

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“To say the least – I have a new lease on life & will be forever grateful that it was not worse!!”

Simpson also thanked paramedics and medical staff for their help, as well as friends and family for looking after her.

The 23-year-old is an actress, singer and reality star, who appeared in the Australian versions of The Masked Singer and I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2021.

Her brother Cody is a musician who won Australia’s The Masked Singer in 2019 and is also known for previously dating model Gigi Hadid and singer Miley Cyrus.

Signing off her Instagram post, Simpson urged her followers to “stay safe” and not to “dive into anything when you don’t know its depth”.

Her photos shared included a picture of a positive COVID-19 test, but she did not say how the virus had affected her.

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