An active Bay of Plenty teen who was left paralysed after he fell from a tree leaves hospital on Tuesday, taking a positive attitude to his new life in a wheelchair.

Sam Fitness with his parents, Karl and Cherie during his time in hospital. Video: Luke Robinson.

Sam Fitness finished at Te Puke High School last year and was gearing up to study geophysics at the University of Auckland when a spinal injury on December 28 left him a tetraplegic.

The then-17-year-old was transported by helicopter from Tauranga Hospital to Auckland's Middlemore Hospital where he underwent two operations after he fell from a tree he was climbing in a local reserve.

He suffered a fracture to his neck and doctors told him he might never walk again.

Fitness is being discharged from Middlemore's spinal unit on Tuesday, after almost two months in the specialist rehabilitation centre.

The positive teen, who celebrated his eighteenth birthday in hospital, said he still had a lot of work to do on his rehabilitation but cannot wait to get back to "the Bay".

The Papamoa-native has remained positive throughout his journey.

"It's your life now, you can't change that."

His accident had been harder emotionally for his friends and family than it was for him, he said.

But when they saw how well he was doing and how optimistic he was about his rehabilitation it made things easier, he said.

Family and friends had rallied around the teen and a Givealittle page set up by his uncle had raised more than $50,000.

Fitness said the support was "wicked".

It had been a long, hard road to home for the Papamoa teen.

"I knew straight away it was a pretty bad injury."

Since then he had learned to breathe, eat and cough again – things people always took for granted, he said.

Fitness lives in constant pain following his accident.

The nerves in his legs, which he cannot use, caused a constant burning sensation, he said.

Sam Fitness and his father Karl before his accident. Photo: Facebook.

Doctors have told him the pain might go, or it could stay forever.

Fitness said he tried to take his mind off it by talking to people and doing things.

There had also been setbacks, including collapsed lungs and infections, but there was no point in getting down.

Fitness said it was scary knowing he would never be able to partake in activities like he used to, especially fishing, hockey and longboarding.

But technological advances meant he would be able to play sport again and get a job at some point.

One of his top goals is to eventually move to a manual wheelchair where he can push himself and play games like wheelchair rugby.

His father Karl had already started researching different types of wheelchairs and equipment.

Fitness's parents Karl and Cherie moved from their home in the Bay of Plenty to stay close to their son during his time in hospital.

They had been able to spend more time at home and at work since he was moved to the spinal unit but they were looking forward to having him home, Cherie Fitness said.

When Fitness leave the unit he will spend time in a motel in Mount Maunganui until the family home was ready to accommodate him.

Renovations, including a bigger bedroom, were needed before he could move back into his family home.

ACC had covered the family's costs of renovations and mobility vehicle hireage.

This year would be focused on rehab and getting used to his new life, Fitness said.

Long-term, he still wanted to go to university and get a job.

While he would not be staying in his family home on Tuesday night, Fitness said he was looking forward to visiting home.

And he was looking forward to some home-cooked meals after all the hospital food.