Nick Lonie looking to the right
People with Brain Injury

Nick Lonie

Nick Lonie is the former Chairman of Headwest. His brain injury occurred after he fell from the back of a moving ute.  

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David FitzGerald
People with Brain Injury

David FitzGerald

When David was 11 years old, he acquired a brain injury through a horse riding accident.

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David Trahair
People with Brain Injury

David Trahair

David Trahair has an acquired brain injury as a result of a fall at home.  David and his wife Nicki hold the Beans 4 Brains Fun Run annually. 

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Portrait of Julie Clark
People with Brain Injury

Julie Clark

In February 1993, Julie was working as a flight attendant when she began experiencing persistent headaches.

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Tim Cudmore
People with Brain Injury

Tim Cudmore

As a child in 1998, Tim was in an accident that caused traumatic brain injury. His long journey of recovery and discovery has lead him to focus his energy on others.

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Shelby Ouston
People with Brain Injury

Shelby Ouston

In November 2017, Shelby had just finished a two week tour around Australia with her band The Beautiful Monument, when she was admitted into The Austin Hospital in Melbourne with an unknown illness.

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mother and daughter standing underneath tree
Family & Carers People with Brain Injury

Kate’s story

Kate has experienced two episodes of Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy (ANE) - an extremely rare and often fatal disease.

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damien mowle
People with Brain Injury

Damien Mowle

Damien's story highlights the importance of a solid support network to motivate you through your rehabilitation and recovery.

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Sarah Rasborsek
People with Brain Injury

Sarah Rasborsek

Sarah had just crossed the finish line of a triathlon on the Gold Coast when her brain "shut down". It took her over two years to discover what had happened: a virus aggressively inflamed her central nervous system.

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Caitlin Reid
People with Brain Injury

Caitlin Reid

24-year-old Caitlin Reid, from NSW, says that while a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) brought a succession of challenges, with that also came enormous personal and professional growth. 

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Caitlin Kelly
People with Brain Injury

Caitlin Kelly

At just 22 years of age, a blood clot in Caitlin's brain caused her to collapse at home. After intensive rehabilitation, Catilin is taking a positive outlook on recovery.

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Family & Carers People with Brain Injury

Phil and Abbie

Phil and Abbie have been married for 35 years, navigating the highs and lows of family life with a brain injury.

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Michael Liang Sen Yan
People with Brain Injury

Michael Liang Sen Yan

In 1992, the Australian Government sent three telegrams to Michael Liang Sen Yan’s hometown in China to let his parents know that he had suffered a car accident.

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Julian Saavedra
People with Brain Injury

Julian Saavedra

In 2010, Julian was in an accident that left him with a brain injury. Support from family and a positive outlook has driven his recovery.

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Danette Rowse
People with Brain Injury

Danette Rowse

Danette Rowse, from Hazelbrook in the Blue Mountains, was a 48 year old mum of two when, after sunspot removal, she blacked out at the wheel, colliding with another vehicle and suffering extensive injuries. 

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Anne-Maree Hart
People with Brain Injury

Anne-Maree Hart

Campbelltown woman Anne-Maree Hart sustained a head injury because of a serious domestic violence incident. 

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Danny Trestrail
People with Brain Injury

Danny Trestrail

In 2014, Danny Trestrail suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. Challenges notwithstanding, Danny is still happy with the direction his life has taken. 

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Kris Tucker
People with Brain Injury

Kris Tucker

In 2011 Kris Tucker experienced a brain bleed from an aneurysm, and subsequently a stroke. While the road since then has been challenging, Kris says that even amidst endless unknowns you must hold on to hope. 

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Cheryl Dedman
Family & Carers People with Brain Injury

Cheryl Dedman

Cheryl Dedman knows more about brain injury than most, having experienced it both personally, and as the adoptive parent of a teenager diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD).

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Jacob Dedman
People with Brain Injury

Jacob Dedman

Cheryl Dedman and her husband desperately wanted a second child but, with Cheryl having lost pituitary function as a result of a brain tumour, it wasn’t to be. Shortly after adopting their son, Jacob, the couple began to notice distinct differences in his behaviour and development.

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Urs Birrer
People with Brain Injury

Urs Birrer

After a traumatic brain injury left him unable to continue working, Urs Birrer has begun an exciting new phase of his life and recovery, volunteering and inspiring others to do the same.

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Roslind Witham
People with Brain Injury

Roslind Witham

At 18 Ros was driving along a country bitumen road with four of her friends from boarding school and ended up having a car accident. While her friends thankfully walked away unscathed, Ros suffered a brain injury.

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Patty Hoodless
People with Brain Injury

Patty Hoodless

In 2015, Patty was working and didn’t feel well. Later that day Patty decided to go to hospital and that was when Patty had a stroke, leaving her with a brain injury at 52.

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David Paton
People with Brain Injury

David Paton

In 2001, Dave was an eager student keen to study IT at university when one day on his way to school he pulled out in front of a car. Dave, unfortunately, suffered a brain injury and spent seven months recovering in hospital.

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Angela Kalantzis
People with Brain Injury

Angela Kalantzis

10 years ago, Angela’s life as a mum and Beauty Therapist changed forever doing what most Australian families do every weekend, emptying the camper trailer.

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Jalen Oakley
People with Brain Injury

Jalen Oakley

Jalen was a keen AFL player working in traffic control when he attended a family event, then woke up three weeks later in hospital.

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Sean’s  journey
People with Brain Injury

Sean’s journey

42-year-old Sean Gardner was an aluminium Welder and competitive waterski racer before an accident in New Zealand changed the course of his life.

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Myra Fordham
People with Brain Injury

Myra’s Journey

Myra is a proud Gurindji and Wakka Wakka woman, an International Leadership Expert and Business Coach, and a best-selling author who’s been living with a brain injury for the past 7 years.

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Gregg
People with Brain Injury

Gregg’s journey

Father-of-two Gregg Oughton was a fit and healthy 51-year-old when he suffered a stroke during his usual CrossFit session at the gym.

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Tom’s Journey
People with Brain Injury

Tom’s Journey

Tom Spratt was driving to Newcastle to attend university when he fell asleep at the wheel and was hit by a passing motorist. Tom woke in hospital to find he had sustained a traumatic brain injury.

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Tanya’s journey
People with Brain Injury

Tanya’s journey

Tanya Spencer is a loving grandmother who struggled to connect with the person she previously was after having multiple strokes in 2021 at 58-years-old.

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Dane
People with Brain Injury

Dane’s Journey

Canberran and father-of-one, Dane McCormack contracted a bacterial infection- encephalitis while in hospital causing him to develop a brain injury.

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Frederick’s journey
People with Brain Injury

Frederick’s journey

Passionate musician and hospital volunteer, Frederick suffered a brain injury in 2021.

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Oliver’s journey
People with Brain Injury

Oliver’s journey

26-year-old Oliver had just moved to Canberra and was starting his graduate program when he was assaulted on a night out with friends.

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A man smiling with long brown hair, a beard and wearing a hat.
People with Brain Injury

Lance’s Journey

Lance Clayton was your typical Aussie father of three and owner of a small business – Mello, a design and animation studio – until in early 2023 at the age of 35 he had a stroke.

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Sarah’s Journey
People with Brain Injury

Sarah’s Journey

Sarah Herbert was just driving home, one week after she had just gotten engaged to her now husband, when she had a near fatal car crash. 

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Lisa’s Journey
People with Brain Injury

Lisa’s Journey

In 2018 Lisa Kozlowski suffered a stroke, caused by a blood clot that passed through her basilar artery – this particular artery had a kink in it, something Lisa had been born with.  

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Tessa Vablevicus Personal Story
People with Brain Injury

Tessa’s Journey

When Tessa Vablevicus was just 11 years old, she and her brother Harry crossed a country road and were both struck by a car going 100 kilometers per hour. While Tessa managed to survive, her brother sadly did not make it.

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