When Faith was just 13 years old, she fell from a cliff while hiking in the Grampians on school camp. Along with physical injuries Faith had sustained a traumatic brain injury. Now 21, Faith is studying a Bachelor of Social Work and is passionate about connecting and sharing her journey living with a brain injury.  

The fall that changed everything 

“I was in year eight and we had gone on a camp to the Grampians in Victoria and on this particular day, we were all a bit tired.” “Our class had done a big bike ride in the morning. I think it was 30kms. We had a lunch break. And during this break I was like to my friends’ ‘guys, I can’t go up this mountain.’” 

“We went to the tour guide and the teacher that would be taking us on the mountain walk and I said to them, I can’t keep going. Can I please stay behind, I’m so tired. My legs hurt.” The guide and the teacher were very enthusiastic in their words and they’re like, no, it’s going to be fun. It’s such an amazing view at the top.” 

Faith made it to the summit with her friends, but she slipped while descending, falling 10 metres off the cliff. “The last thing that I remember is climbing down,” she shares. “From what I was told, I tripped, tried to grab onto some plants, and fell.” It took four hours for emergency crews to reach her because of the challenging scrubland and they airlifted her to the Royal Children’s Hospital. She jokes about not remembering being air lifted by the helicopter “it would have been cool being actually conscious.” 

Waking up and recovery 

At the hospital Faith was rushed into a craniotomy surgery where they removed a piece of her skull. She was put into a medically induced coma while her body recovered. “About a week or two later they tried to wean me out of it, but I just remained in the same state that I had been in.” “Mum and dad and my sister had been in a lot of meetings with the specialists trying to prepare them for the worse that I might be on life support for the rest of my life, and it was a really scary period.”  

“I came out of the coma and I was in post-traumatic amnesia. I remember not remembering my parents like I thought they were like impostors. I didn’t know where I was. I didn’t know what had happened to me. It was a very scary.” “I remember being really angry and violent towards people.”  

“The 5th of December in 2016. I woke up, that’s what everyone calls it. I remember this morning and there was a nurse Nell –That was her name was, and my dad. They opened the blinds up and I just kind of just remembered.” “It was an awesome day.” 

Her recovery involved relearning basic skills with the help of a dedicated team of allied health providers. “I had to learn how to talk, I had to learn how to walk, how to do all of those things again.” “One thing that really helped me in the hospital was music. I would have a music therapist come in and I just loved listening to her.” 

“Back home we’ve got a lot of family, friends and the community that I live in. I’m really grateful for it because they were just amazing and they put together a big fundraiser for my family so that they live in Melbourne with me when I was there.” 

A new path in life 

“The first person that approached mum and dad in hospital was a social worker.” After graduating from high school, Faith took a gap year and then enrolled in university to pursue a career in social work. “It hasn’t been easy,” She admits “During my first year at uni, I got into a bad period where I experienced insomnia, and I wasn’t sleeping.”   

Faith headed home to reset “I got back into my circadian rhythm and did lots of research on nutrition and what was good for my body and making sure that I was moving my body.” “Just making sure that I was taking care of myself essentially.” “I got back into talking to the OT and with a psychologist.” “I have to have someone else to help me, but it’s OK, you know, that’s just something that I need to do right now.” 

Now after completing her second year of university she reflects on her accident “Whilst the accident was a terrible time, and it definitely impacted me and impacted my family. It’s given me a different perspective to life. I am so grateful. To wake up every morning and like be able to walk and it’s just all the little things that people don’t usually think about that I’m really grateful for.” “I feel like there’s something that I need to do. Give back and motivate people that also kind of go through the similar experiences as me. I’m just excited to be alive.” 

Faith offers heartfelt advice to those facing similar challenges, reminding us “It’s just all the little things, you’re gonna get through it and it is gonna be OK. It’s gonna work out and you will look back one day and be like, Oh my God. I can’t believe I’ve been through that.”