Headstart is passionate about educating people, especially children - on acquired brain injury and the impact of an ‘invisible injury’. Kicking off with the powerful video titled “Your head is not a basketball” our Community Education Team (CET) spent a morning with several year 7 classes at a local high school. Tony, Ray and Shaun spoke about their personal experiences with ABI as part of explaining the consequences of risky behaviours to kids.
Tony’s car rolled when it hit a horse two years ago.
“I ended up at Rankin Park hospital, and I had to learn how to walk and talk again. Every time I look in the mirror still half my face feels like it’s melted. I’ve got this hole... crater that reminds me of what happened".
“Your brain changes, your tolerance levels change, I don’t think I’ll ever go back to the work. I used to do which was drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Now I have to drink from a straw. I can’t go out and eat, it’s embarrassing, my whole left side is messed up so I’m often dribbling. I hate people thinking I’m drunk, so much so that I made up a t-shirt saying ‘I’m not drunk, I have an ABI.’ ”
“But you’ve got to make lemonade when you’re given lemons. I’m not allowed to drive at the moment, but I hope to get my licence again. I was a base player so am learning it really slowly and laboriously. I’d like to play in a band again too.”
Addressing the kids, Tony advises: “You’re young, adventurous, we don’t want to take that away from you but please... I see kids riding in on skateboards without helmets. Just remember please, your head is not a basketball.”
Twenty years ago Shaun had a motorbike crash.
“I was 16 with no helmet going 140 clicks and head first into a cement pipe. I had severe head injuries and died two or three times on the operating table, so I’m lucky to be alive. My father looked me and said ‘that’s not Shaun’ and paced around saying ‘he’s gone, he’s gone.”
It’s changed everything. I had to relearn how to speak talk, walk. Half a year in hospital. Didn’t even know my own name. Whole right side is buggered, blind in my right eye, can’t taste really. I thought about suicide many times but didn’t. When I’d just had me accident everyone was around me but over time everyone weaned off, and now I’ve really only got one good friend. That’s been tough. I walk with a limp and people think I’m either drink or on drugs but I’m the exact same person. My advice is don’t ride a motorbike. Or if you do wear proper safety gear and a helmet.”
Fifteen years ago Ray’s ute was t-boned by a truck.
“I died twice. 3 weeks in a coma, 3 weeks in hospital. The rehabilitation was really hard for family to understand, because with a brain injury you look the same but you’re not the same. A lot of friends steer clear of me now, they think it’s a disease. It’s not, it’s just a hidden injury.”
“It was pretty frustrating to have to rely on people all the time. I get mood swings and fatigue. I’m often tired. The alone times are the hardest part. I get Headstart support to come in help with house work that I can’t do. The one on one is great and gets me motivated.”
“In future I want to get better at lawn bowls. I used to be a pretty good bowler. You’d think I’d be fit, I mean I lost 30 kilos!”I broke my daughters heart at 14 years old when on her birthday I didn’t know who she was. My advice to kids is just think about things before you do them ... think twice because you think you’re ten foot tall and bullet proof and you’re not.”
We thank our CET team for their efforts to help with community understanding of brain injury. To find out about joining or bookings visit our Community Education Team page.
