‘I hope that by sharing my story, it can help others on their journey after brain injury’ – John’s Story
John has been a dairy and cattle farmer his whole life, firstly in The Mallee before moving to his lovely farm on the Murray River about an hour out of Adelaide – where he has been for more than 20 years. And, as a farmer, John has always been used to doing everything on his property himself.
It’s been just over 12 months since the car accident that caused John’s traumatic brain injury (TBI), when the car he was travelling in with his wife was hit by a truck – the circumstances as to what led to the accident is still unclear today.
‘When My Brakes Failed’ – By Sophia Anna-Faria
Imagine hurtling down a 110 kilometre highway when your breaks fail – That’s a brain injury.
After being misdiagnosed with a mild concussion, Sophia’s life was completely changed when she suffered a cervical vertebral dissection, which caused an Ischaemic stroke. She now runs her own social media page, where she shares her story with brain injury and stroke, while spreading the word that ‘strokes are more than just a four-letter acronym’.
Sue’s Story of Resilience, Strength, and Unfinished Business
Four years ago, Sue had a stroke while on a four-wheel driving holiday in remote Queensland. She was air-lifted to the closest major city by the Royal Flying Doctors Service, which was 1000 KM away in Cairns.
Now, Sue has kicked so many fantastic goals, including being able to speak again, going on a trip to Europe, and is this year planning to finish the trip that her stroke rudely interrupted.
Mel’s Fighting Spirit and Her Message of Hope
Two years ago, 31-year-old Mel was getting herself ready for a date when suddenly a coughing fit hit. Disappearing to her room to grab a glass of water, Mel collapsed – having what was the first of several cardiac arrests.
Fortunately, Mel wasn’t alone as one of her good friends had popped by to wish her luck on her date, and hearing a loud thud called an ambulance, and then started CPR. After what seemed like an agonising 10 mins, the ambulance crew arrived and took over, rushing Mel to hospital. Across this next short period, Mel’s heart would stop again, needing to be restarted by a defibrillator 7 times.
Watch Video: Participant Stories –
Featuring 4 South Australians Living with Brain Injury
Video Transcript coming soon.