Feature Story - Acceptance Has Helped Me Move On

EMPOWER

edition 28 April 2014

FEATURE STORY - ACCEPTANCE HAS HELPED ME MOVE ON

My story by Adele Brooks

Last year, 2013, was supposed to be the year of Adele.

It was my turn to graduate and I had finally found some sense of direction after four years of an Arts degree.

The next step into professional awesomeness was a mere six months away. Perhaps I got a little carried away with my perceived ability to find a job in journalism immediately after university. I was going to be the success story of my class. I had already planned the column topics I would write.

I was so focused on the end goal that I forfeited the life that happened in between. Long to-do lists were permanent fixtures in my tattered diary and the walls of my bedroom were covered with planners. I never had a spare second to sit back and do nothing, but I knew precisely where my life was going at 21 years of age.

Then I woke up at The Alfred.

Seven broken ribs were the least of my worries. I was rushed to the operating room for surgery upon admission to stem massive blood loss and to save my life. The brain surgery aimed to reduce the extreme pressure from the brain after lesions and bleeding as a result of a serious head trauma.

Two protruding rods were then inserted into my shattered pelvis to ensure correct bone reformation and to enable mobility. If I were to describe my multitude of injuries I would definitely surpass my word limit.

I don’t have much recollection of the place that saved my life, but I know the Intensive Care Unit and its incredible staff will be forever etched in my family’s minds. What followed the ICU was a 14-week stint at a rehabilitation hospital.

For three months, I was bed bound and completely reliant on others. At the end of July, I took my first aided steps. I’ve tried to fit together all the pieces to the puzzle. Why me? What even happened that night? I’ve grown to accept that my questions will never be answered.

In some ways, drivers and smokers are the same. When you say to a smoker, “smoking gives you cancer” they usually say two things. “You have to die from something” or “It will never happen to me.” If cancer does strike, the world comes crashing down. When drivers see gut-wrenching road safety advertisements, it’s impossible to ever imagine yourself in that position. “I’m a good driver!” We’ve all said it.

Accidents do happen. Every morning, I wake up grateful that I didn’t become another statistic. I was lucky.

Without realising, you can live life in a bubble. Things will continue smoothly without any distractions. For others, that bubble is hastily burst when it is least expected and usually at the worst possible moment. I have taken my burst bubble of naivety in my stride. Some analyse the situation over and over, craving an answer. I have accepted this part of my life and moved on.

I don’t go around fishing for sympathy or feeling sorry for myself because you can’t relive the past.

A state of depression doesn’t help. I may not always ask for help when I should and I always insist I’m fine even when I’m not, to avoid a fuss, but the facade of my usual smiling self doesn’t always mean “I’m fine.”

It takes a lot for me to ask for help. It also takes a long time to process a serious trauma. The scars will forever be a reminder of what I have endured, but it certainly will not define me. The journey may be long and at times extremely frustrating, but the finishing line is in sight. It will just take time. Unfortunately the impatience of youth is ever present.

I still have that same goal of entering journalism and being a successful hot-shot reporter. And with said success, of course, means being invited back to my old high school as a successful alumni motivational speaker – right?

IN THE NEWS

Independence Cup raises awareness of spinal cord injuries

Soccer fans met some of the sport’s finest players during this year’s Independence Cup to raise awareness of the 12,000 people living with a spinal cord injury in Australia.

With statistics showing that young men aged between 15-24 years – the typical age of Melbourne Victory fans – are most at risk of acquiring a spinal cord injury, the event was a great way to raise awareness of spinal cord injuries.

TAC client injured in a car accident, Cockatoo-based powerlifter Rod Watson enjoyed a taste of life in the A-League ahead of the Cup, receiving a personal tour of the Melbourne Victory’s training rooms.

Melbourne Victory players Adrian Leijer and Leigh Broxham took Mr Watson on the tour and shared training tips for their different sports.

“It was a great chance to hear about how they prepare for a big match, not to mention check out the training equipment they use,” Mr Watson said.

“Their tips on how they build their fitness and strength will help my efforts in the Paralympic powerlifting training squad,” he said.

“It was a great chance to hear about how they prepare for a big match, not to mention check out the training equipment they use,” Mr Watson said.

Meanwhile, Paralympian, Michael Taylor, who brought friends to watch the Cup, said he enjoyed meeting other people with spinal cord injuries.

“It was a great opportunity to meet new people and hear their stories,” he said.

Fundraising efforts on the night will support Independence Australia’s Psychology and Counselling service, which helps individuals and families overcome the trauma of a spinal cord injury.

Find out more at

The Other Film Festival

The Other Film Festivalhappens every two years and shows films created by, or featuring, people with a disability.

Entries for this year’s festival close on 30 April so if you have made a film you would like to showcase, find out more about the festival at

The festival will run from 3 to 7 December 2014.

Feeling theatrical? joinboilover

Interested in theatre?

Maybe you would like to write a play, instead of being on stage?

BoilOver Inclusive Performance Ensemble is a Sunbury dance theatre company comprising a diverse group of performers with a disability who each have a distinct view of the world and their place in it. BoilOver devises its performance works in a safe, supportive, fun and local environment, and believes everyone has important creative offerings to share.

Find out how you can get involved at

WHAT’S ON?

Applications are now open to support people with a disability to take part in the Australia Council of Social Services (ACOSS) National Conference in Brisbane on June 11 and 12, 2014.

The theme of this year’s national ACOSS conference is ‘Global problems, local solutions: Tackling inequality in Australia and beyond’ and will feature international guest speakers and Australian leaders discussing ways to tackle poverty and inequality.

Find out more about the conference at conference.acoss.org.au

MILLY JOINS THE VICTORIAN WOMEN’S HONOUR ROLL

Congratulations to disability advocate, Milly Parker, who was named on the 2014 Victorian Women’s Honour Roll.

The Honour Roll celebrates the great achievements of inspirational women in the community, with Dame Elizabeth Murdoch, Joan Kirner and ItaButtrose just some of the names on the list.

Milly has an acquired brain injury following a car crash in her twenties. Milly dealt with bouts of depression as she regained her independence. her confidence grew after buying a dog and creating a home-baked dog biscuit business, happy Yappers.

The business, along with life, also has gone from strength to strength. She received a Brainlink Women of Achievement award in 2004. Brainlink Services provides support to families and carers of people affected by acquired brain disorders.

After winning her latest award, Milly said: “It’s a huge honour and I am quite humbled by the honour itself but when you see the list of women on the roll its quite overwhelming.”

MANAGING YOUR OWN FUNDS

If you would like more independence to manage the services you need, you might qualify for Individualised Funding.

Individualised Funding (IF) is a way for clients with a severe injury to self-manage the services they need, when they need them. It recognises the importance of people’s right to have choice and control over their services and the need for services to be flexible.

Clients who have been approved for IF receive a monthly funding allocation and accept responsibility for managing and arranging their purchasable services to meet their needs in an individual and unique way.

The TAC website has a section about Individualised Funding (IF) which answers your questions about managing your own funds, including eligibility,what you can use your IF money for and how to start the process. Visit and select ‘Claims support’ from the top tab, then select ‘how we manage your claim’ and then ‘Individualised Funding’ from the tabs on the left side of the page.

You can also speak directly with your SupportCoordinator for more information.

OPEN ROADS

A hub dedicated to all things ROAD SAFETY

Open roads is an online hub for everything related to road safetyand transport accidents in victoria. It’s called open Roads for a reason– the website exists so that Victorians can have an open and honest discussion – to learn and be inspired by one another – with the goal of making our roads a safer place for all.

On Open roads you’ll find a multitude of content, including the latest road safety news, advances in safety technology, and some real-life stories from people who’ve been directly affected by road trauma.

If you’d like to contribute to the Open roads discussion or see what other people have to say, visit

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