Peer Support Clients Stories

• Lynne Panayiotis
• Rocca Salcedo Mesa
• Pradeep Hewavitharana
• Georgina Fiorentino
• Pheng Ng
• Peter van Benthem
  

Lynne Panayiotis

Lynne’s Story

"Contact with the AQA Peer Support Team increased my drive to reconnect with the world, help others and to realise that "I can do it too".

Enjoys family, being a volunteer, travelling and is planning a trip around Australia in a caravan.

Lynne was injured in January 2006 whilst a tourist in Egypt, when the bus she was travelling in rolled. Lynne was trapped under the bus by her left leg. An accident in Egypt is not like one in Australia. It took the rescue workers two hours to free her with the jaws of life, having tried to manually lift the bus and drag her out by the shoulders. Lynne was taken on a rough ride to emergency with no blanket, spinal board or stretcher and was then moved to another hospital, where her back was fused at the T11 to L2 sections because of a spinal cord injury (SCI). Awaking in intensive care, she learned that her husband of 23 years had been killed in the accident.

Four days later Lynne was transferred to London by air ambulance, where her lower left leg was amputated. Within a week she flew home with the aid of an intensive care nurse and MICA paramedic, to be present at her husband’s funeral. She was also admitted for a week at the Austin hospital, before being transferred to the Talbot Rehabilitation Centre in Kew for another four and a half month’s rehabilitation.

At Royal Talbot she met Nazim Erdem and Peter Van Benthem , regular peer support workers from AQA. She also met another patient with similar injuries to hers and whose journey was just as remarkable. Lynne attended Life Skills sessions while at Royal Talbot (conducted in conjunction with AQA) where she met other amazing people who have continued to live life to the full despite having a spinal cord injury. Lifted by the message of “you can do it too” and the motivation and encouragement she received from her peers, Lynne embarked on a mission to succeed. In the 12 months post discharge, Lynne has been camping and hand-cycling and has learned how to sit-ski. In the following 12 months she started a scuba diving course and has commenced preparations for an around Australia trip.

Previously Lynne had been a teacher and she felt that her return to the classroom was unlikely but was interested in maintaining her skills. She took advantage of an opportunity to volunteer with the aquatic physiotherapists at Sunshine Hospital to revise their educational material. She has also used her skills and SCI experience by presenting at Life Skills Days at Royal Talbot and assisted with some one on one peer support, particularly but not exclusively with women. Lynne believes that “being able to give a person hope that they can make it through the SCI journey is a wonderful gift to give. To be there and see how people gain back their independence, their drive and especially their laughter is a wonderful gift to receive”.

Rocca Salcedo Mesa

Rocca’s Story

“The AQA Peer Support and Information Service contribution is significant for the disability community within Victoria and Tasmania. Their professionalism and effectiveness help to improve people’s health and life”.

Enjoys travel and study and understands the importance of accurate and relevant information about disability issues.

Rocca traveled to Australia from Colombia (South America) in 2001 to study a Masters of Public and International Law. Unfortunately she was struck by a car in Brighton that resulted in her being left with an incomplete spinal injury at levels C7 and T1. Rocca spent almost two months in the Austin Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit and Spinal Ward and was then transferred to the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre in Kew where she spent another 12 months.

Rocca was faced with many new challenges after her injury that included a new life using a wheelchair for mobility, together with isolation in a new country away from family, friends and familiar culture and having no permanent and accessible home.

While at Royal Talbot Rocca came into contact with AQA’s Peer Support team. They were able to link her to another woman with similar disabilities, who was also from a different eth nic background and living and working with a disability. Rocca participated in a Life Skills session at Royal Talbot where she made contact with other people sharing their personal experiences of life with a disability and began to realise the importance of receiving information about access, lifestyle, recreation sports and other relevant issues. This assisted her in her physical and mental rehabilitation. She realised she was not by herself, there were others possibly worse off than her and also many others working, playing sports, driving, traveling and having fun. It was also essential for Rocca that her parents were able to understand her changed situation. The Life Skills sessions demonstrated this and allowed them to see that Rocca could develop new possibilities.

In her new life as a person with a disability Rocca had many questions that were answered by the AQA Peer Support and Information Service team. Their own personal experience of spinal cord injury, together with information from the AQA newsletter News Link and the AQA information database provided Rocca with answers to her questions about health and SCI research, benefits for people with disabilities (i.e. concession for vehicle registration), rights and equity and social events. Other important issues for Rocca that AQA provided contacts for included accessible accommodation and car hire with hand controls when traveling overseas and assistance with negotiating access on campus when returning to university.

Rocca says “Thanks to the AQA Peer Support and Information Service I can receive personalised assistance and relevant information to my needs”.

Pradeep Hewavitharana

A Volunteer Story

“Most skilled migrants have many barriers in gaining work experience. Having a physical disability made some of the barriers even steeper for me. I am happy I met the peer support team, they have changed my life.”

Busy sole parent of two teenagers Passionate about cooking and helping people.

In 1999 Pradeep Hewavitharana sustained a T4/T6 incomplete spinal cord injury as the result of a scooter accident in Sri Lanka which left him with paralysis. After a short period of rehabilitation Pradeep commenced full-time employment as welfare support is limited for people with disabilities in Sri Lanka.

Pradeep migrated with his family to Australia in August 2003 as a skilled migrant. Although he has a Major in Information Technology from Sri Lanka, gaining work experience and a permanent job in Australia wasn’t easy. Pradeep decided another profession might prove more successful. In 2005 he completed an Advanced Diploma in Accountancy and began looking for employment in this field. This however still proved illusive due to his lack of Australian work experience.

While undertaking rehabilitation at the Victorian Spinal Cord Service (VSCS), at the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre in Kew, Pradeep attended one of the Life Skills sessions that are conducted by AQA and the VSCS. He met with AQA peer support staff and was impressed by the service they offered to people with a spinal cord injury.

Discussions with AQA staff highlighted the need for Pradeep to have an opportunity to gain work experience if he was to succeed in finding useful employment. To assist Pradeep gain work experience in his profession, AQA was able to offer him voluntary work in bookkeeping one day a week under the supervision of the AQA Accounts team.

For the last two years Pradeep has broadened his knowledge and training in bookkeeping, learned more about working in an office environment and contributed at the same time to AQA’s accounts department workload.

Pradeep says “I am really impressed how people with disabilities help each other in Australia and the great job that the AQA peer support team do in providing information and support to others”.

Pradeep has now used the experience and knowledge he gained from the volunteer work at AQA to build on his previous knowledge and has started his own bookkeeping and mortgage brokering business.

Georgina Fiorentino

Georgina's Story

Enjoys family, travel and work as an accountant.
A busy, active life with T7/10 paraplegia.
A client of AQA Peer Support.

Georgina sustained a complete spinal cord injury in Nov 2003 after a major blood clot developed within her spinal cord between sections T7 and T10.  Georgina has a long history of SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus), with blood clotting being one of the many symptoms of her condition. After spending 2 weeks at the Melbourne Private Hospital, Georgina was transferred to the Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre in Kew to start her rehabilitation program which was to last 4 months.

Acquiring a spinal cord injury at T7 and T10 meant that Georgina would be a paraplegic and she would need a wheelchair for mobility. Georgina was married not long before her injury and she would now need the support of her husband, family and friends to face the challenges of life with a disability.

An AQA Peer Support officer met with Georgina and her family early in her rehabilitation at Royal Talbot to offer support. They were able to provide information to Georgina and her family about the many options available to people who use wheelchairs for mobility. This information included community access, lifestyle/recreation and vocation to name a few.

The AQA Peer Support team were in regular contact with Georgina either in person or by phone. Their own personal experience of spinal cord injury and their encouragement and motivation gave Georgina insight into how she could re-enter the community after her rehabilitation.

“The peer support team gave me the confidence I needed at a time when I thought my world was over.”

Georgina had specific concerns and questions relating to "women’s" issues. An important part of AQA’s Peer Support program is being able to ‘tailor’ the service to meet the needs of the individual. Georgina was linked up with a female paraplegic who was able to answer many of her questions. The positive support of the AQA Peer Support Team has enabled Georgina to confidently meet the many challenges and obstacles ahead. 

“The peer support team was instrumental in the process of re-gaining my confidence and learning to live life to the fullest.”

Georgina loves to travel and would like to explore somewhere different each year with her husband.  Georgina also wants to maintain her health through regular exercise and healthy eating.  She has returned to her work as an accountant and enjoys being busy with her work, however she makes sure she has time to enjoy life and have lots of fun!

Georgina has worked hard to become accustomed to her new life and with the support of her husband, family and friends, she aspires to continue a happy and healthy life.

Pheng Ng

Pheng's Story

”With the support of AQA, I was able to gain valuable information and meet good role models, become motivated to manage my life better and contemplate the future even though it was going to be a long and hard road.”

Enjoys community involvement with C4/5 quadriplegia.
A client of AQA Peer Support.

Pheng was involved in a motor vehicle accident News Years Day 2002. The severity of her injury was not fully understood until, after being discharged from the Emergency Ward and sent home, Pheng’s condition rapidly deteriorated resulting in spinal cord injury (SCI). Her condition is diagnosed as a C4/5 or ‘highly dependent quadriplegic’. Her ‘highly dependent quadriplegic’ state means that Pheng needs life-time support of workers or others for everyday living.

Pheng’s story is one of hope, thanks in no small way to the many medical and associated professionals as well as the support and guidance from the AQA Info rmation /Peer Support team.

After spending an initial period in hospital, Pheng spent another twelve months at Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Unit in Kew which is specially designed for spinal cord patient rehabilitation. Here Pheng started to learn the long process of maintaining and managing her lifestyle as a ‘quad’. The severity of her condition requires her to use an electric wheelchair and a ventilator via a permanent tracheotomy at night to help her breath while sleeping.

Spinal cord rehabilitation is very tough, both mentally and physically. The future for Pheng was looking bleak and overwhelming – she could not contemplate returning to nursing and she didn’t have an accessible place to live, compounded by no family for support as they live overseas.

This is where AQA Info rmation /Peer Support team members came into Pheng’s life. The weekly visits by the team provided a positive opportunity to make contact with people who have faced quadriplegia and come through it as positive role models. During the year of rehabilitation the AQA team provided support and information that had depth and understanding of what she was going through. They demonstrated through their own actions that ‘quads’ can work, play sport, have relationships, travel, and play meaningful roles in their communities.

During her rehabilitation Pheng had many questions that needed to be answered; answers that are more meaningful when delivered by someone prepared to share their own stories and experiences. With the support of AQA, Pheng was able to gain valuable information and meet good role models, become motivated to manage her life better and contemplate the future even though it was going to be a long and hard road.

Pheng now has many goals in her sites and is looking towards the future very positively. She is considering living independently with a well planned and supportive team and ‘moving on’ from the nursing home environment. Pheng has hopes to travel, is keen to find voluntary work, to maintain her wellbeing through exercise and ensuring she takes the best possible care of herself. She is also keen to taste ‘freedom’ - by sourcing a specifically modified vehicle for transport to enable her to go where she wants, when she wants.

With AQA’s encouragement, Pheng has also sought advice in regard to insurance compensation with positive outcomes.

Peter van Benthem

Peter's Story

“The team at AQA showed me through personal example, how quadriplegics can work, play sports, be good partners and fathers and play an active role in their communities.”

Enjoys family, friends and work with C4/5 quadriplegia.
AQA Information/Peer Support Officer.

Peter had a motorbike accident in late 1999. With an estimated impact speed of 130kms, Peter was airlifted to Alfred Hospital Trauma Ward where he fought for his life. The motorcycle accident proved ‘life altering’ for Peter who is now rebuilding his life as a “high needs” or, in medical terms, a C 4/5 Quadriplegic.

Peter was a young man at the time of his injury with a young family, a wife and five week-old son. Peter was injured on an unregistered motorbike and on private property leaving him without compensation to support him and his family over the long road ahead.

In hospital Peter’s broken neck was fused across the C 4/5/6 level of the spine. After spending a week in Alfred Hospital’s ICU, Peter was moved to the Austin Hospital’s Spinal Ward. Here he spent seven weeks getting medically stable, before commencing a long rehabilitation program at Royal Talbot in Kew, which involved an additional eight months.

Embarking on a rehabilitation program after suffering a serious spinal cord injury is one of the biggest challenges an individual is likely to face. Peter’s future was overwhelming and looking ‘bleak’ to say the least. He faced a future of never being able to walk again and having very limited arm movement and was considered 98% disabled by a medical board. Peter’s emotional well-being was affected through not being able to return to work as an electrician, not being able to provide for his family, not having any insurance or cover and not having an accessible home.

Like so many people in this situation, Peter needed specialised support. AQA regularly visited Peter and his family and chatted with them on a weekly basis. AQA’s Peer Support Team were people just like him; they were people who had moved on after a serious spinal cord injury, who could offer support to newly injured individuals going through rehabilitation. AQA’s Peer Support Team could understand and relate to Peter’s situation and provided him with information and important life skills opportunities to learn about life as a quadriplegic. The team at AQA also showed Peter, through personal example, how quadriplegics can work, play sports, be good partners and fathers and play an active role in their communities.

Peter's confidence and outlook as a quadriplegic grew to a point where he could look towards the future more positively. AQA supported Peter with work at their office as a telephone receptionist. At AQA Peter was provided with training in computer skills so he could broaden his career options. It wasn’t long before AQA offered Peter the opportunity to become a Disability Info rmation Officer. Now Peter is part of AQA’s Info rmation /Peer Support Team and an integral member of the committee that organises Life Skills sessions for newly spinal cord injured individuals who are undergoing rehabilitation at Royal Talbot Rehabilitation Centre. He also makes weekly visits to Royal Talbot, supporting individuals by providing essential information, practical assistance, and perhaps also inspiration, as they progress through their rehabilitation.