Overcoming Disabilities

Tragic as it may be, accidents happen. When they do, life can be turned upside down. This is my account of the events that changed my life forever.

In 1998, we went on a camping holiday to a remote beach location on the east coast, with my sister and her family. It was so stormy that we were forced to pack up and relocate to a farm to wait it out. On the first fine day, I drove into the town to pick up bread and milk and we all thought the worst was over.

Later that day I felt strange and blacked out. I awoke in a hospital a few days later, thinking that I had lost the baby I was carrying; I was 5 months pregnant and my son was 9 at the time. I saw the Doctors coming to do their rounds and I didn’t want to be poked and prodded so I went to go to the bathroom. I jumped off the bed only to end up in a crumpled heap on the floor. I finished up with a whole pile of nurses instead. I did not understand what was happening. I could not walk or talk coherently. My brain seemed to be working, I was having thoughts but they were not coming out as I wanted. I had had brain surgery caused by an aneurysm.

It has been a long road to recovery but we got there in the end. Learning how to walk, talk, read and write has been a challenge and taken long, long time. My daughter is now 17 and I have another who is 13 years old, my son is now 25 and they give me so much love and support. My husband and I divorced in the end but that’s life.

Tragedy’s happen to ordinary people but it’s the survivors that make this world an extraordinary world to live in. Live life and go for your dreams, whatever happens.