Ian loved to travel. He loved the freedom of packing up his belongings, jumping in his caravan and going wherever his heart will take him.
At the time of his accident, Ian was on a trip, visiting a friend in Gladstone. A big lover of the outdoors, one evening Ian decided to go for a stroll outside to enjoy the night’s fresh air. A simple misstep and a short fall from a mere one-meter drop was all it took for Ian’s life to change forever.
“I went to take a step and then next thing I was looking up at the stars. As quick as that, the blink of an eye.”
Ian lay on the ground all night, bleeding and broken, until his friend found him in the morning. He had sustained a spinal injury as well as significant damage to his skull. Ian spent three weeks in the Intensive Care Unit, coming in and out of consciousness, but he is a fighter.
Ian jokes, “Lucifer was too scared to have me, so he kicked me out!”
After nine months in various hospitals, rehabilitating and recovering, Ian was ready to head home and start his new life. But given his acquired disabilities, Ian could not return to the nomadic lifestyle that he was used to.
Ian was forced to sell his caravan and 4-wheel drive and settle in an accessible home. He loves his new home, near the beach, completely set up for his care needs. However, Ian has missed traveling and his independence terribly, feeling like a “tiger in a cage”.
“I have to take maxi-taxis and they hardly ever turn up…and it used to be safe to take the tram late at night, but I don’t feel safe anymore.”
To regain some of his independence and visit the beautiful places he holds close to his heart, Ian reached out to Youngcare for support purchasing a vehicle. Thanks to generous donors, Ian was given an At Home Care Grant and $10,000 towards his new car.
While Ian’s adventures may look a little different these days, he doesn’t plan on slowing down any time soon. Ian is particularly looking forward to this Christmas, taking advantage of his freedom as a wandering nomad once again!
“I want to go down to Melbourne for Christmas to see my family – I do love a road trip!”
To Youngcare’s generous supporters, Ian has this very grateful message:
“To the people who donate, I would be lost without you because I wouldn’t have a car, I would still be like a tiger in a cage.
Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It has given me a sense of freedom. It has given me my independence.”
