Cam, a 56 year old father, rigger and cricket fanatic who had a lifechanging TBI
I was involved in an incident which I am unable to recall on either the 6th or 7th of August 2020, which resulted in a traumatic brain injury. I was admitted to Royal Perth Hospital where I underwent various assessments and scans and was diagnosed with a left temporal lobe contusion, right intracranial haemorrhage and sub arachnoid haemorrhage. This resulted in me experiencing ongoing right sided deficit characterised by ataxia and hemisensory impairment.
I was transferred to Fiona Stanley Hospital SRS ward B to begin my rehabilitation journey. During this time I engaged in Speech Therapy to improve the clarity of my speech, Occupational Therapy to improve decreased sensation on my right side and cognitive rehabilitation and Physiotherapy to regain my mobility. To this day I still experience significant challenges in all of these areas. I owe all my rehabilitation gains to Dr Tang and Dr Emery and their fantastic teams.
I was honoured to be the first specialist volunteer on SRS wards A and B where I can share my lived experience knowledge to help instil hope in fellow patients embarking on their own rehabilitation journey. I was awarded the South Metropolitan Excellence Award for Volunter of the Year in 2024. I plan to spend my future years helping other people who experience Neurological Conditions and am currently the President of Beyond ABI and sit on many other working groups across the industry. I would love to play cricket again some day but for now you will always find me in the stands at the WACA!
“The glass is half full, never half empty”