Jason’s story: helping others avoid the dark times

Jason lives at Buff Point on the Central Coast. His home overlooks sparkling Budgewoi Lake since much of Jason's early life was spent on or in the water. He grew up in Newcastle and had an early job driving the charter boat for a dive shop in Port Stephens.

He worked on tall ships in Sydney Harbour and on whale-watching boats and trawlers in Hervey Bay. He represented NSW in the Australian Spear Fishing Championships and has spent hours scuba diving.

Jason started work as a motor vehicle wholesaler for an auction house in Newcastle. The work required a lot of driving out to dealerships all over western NSW to buy trade-ins. It was on one such trip in 2001, near Singleton, that he had a microsleep just where the road fell away into paddocks.

He only remembers hitting a tree and then electric pain running through his legs as he faded in and out of consciousness.

False hope

He was taken first to John Hunter Hospital and then the next day to Royal North Shore. He'd suffered a burst T12 vertebra and needed part of his hip bone grafted into his back. He was in hospital for three months and then in Royal Rehab at Ryde for another three months.

A surgeon told Jason he had every chance of walking again, but when that didn't happen, he fell into a deep depression. "I'd completely lost the life I knew."

As a single dad to his 10-year-old daughter, Tiahn, Jason was also worried about losing his identity as a father.

"I was more worried about my daughter than about myself and left rehab a bit early and before learning all I should have."

Challenges

Jason wasn't using the prescribed equipment and suffered a pressure wound, a common ailment among wheelchair users, which required flap surgery and 100 days lying on his side to allow the wound to heal.

Finding a home for himself and Tiahn, was a challenge. There was a cycle of battles with private landlords to arrange minor modifications to accommodate his needs.

He did business and admin courses at TAFE and applied unsuccessfully for numerous jobs.

He felt he wasn't coping and started using drugs—a way of self-medicating to forget his troubles. They were dark times and he admits that the 16 years after his accident were tough for his parents and daughter too.

Small steps

Eight years ago things slowly started to turn around. Jason was sick of not making progress on any front. "I woke up to myself and started seeing a drug and alcohol counsellor."

Step-by-step he was inspired to make positive changes in his life.

In 2017 he met his partner, Kate, who helped him see his potential. They moved to The Entrance on the Central Coast.

By 2019 Jason hadn't worked for 18 years when he applied for a job at Spinal Cord Injuries Australia (SCIA) as a peer and family support coordinator.

Getting that job was another turning point. He is now one of a team of 11 people all with lived experience of disability. The team—located across Sydney, the Illawarra, Canberra and Perth—share their stories with new spinal injury patients both in hospital and the community.

Working alongside clinicians, the team participates in education sessions on topics ranging from bowel, bladder and pain management; driving after a spinal cord injury; travelling on public transport; sexuality and intimacy; skin care and pressure wounds; wheelchair skills and how to be safe.

"It's so rewarding to help people adjust and to avoid making the same mistakes I made—helping them be as independent as they can be."

Jason wishes this kind of support had been offered when he was injured. "I wouldn't have gone through the darkness I did if I'd known this stuff."

He loves the work. It takes him two hours in the morning to get ready before driving his hand-controlled Honda CRV four days a week, 90 minutes each way to Sydney.

Proud granddad

In his dark days, Jason didn't understand the benefit of playing adaptive sports. He's now been sailing and mountain biking. Through Sargood at Collaroy, which provides specialist accommodation for people with spinal cord injury, he's driven 4WD-powered wheelchairs on the beach and tried para-golf and sit-skiing.

The 52-year-old is now a proud dad and granddad to Tiahn and her young daughters. Tiahn lives near Lismore and they maintain their close relationship on Facetime. He'll see all the family when he travels north in January, relishing that his parents, siblings and daughter are all proud of how far he's come.

Yet another turning point has been the construction of his and Kate's new house. Last year they moved into their beautiful home with icare-funded modifications including roll-in spaces and wider doors.

"It feels fantastic to have our own place and to be working again after so long."

"Life's really taken a turn. I appreciate it and don't take it for granted."

Long hours

As well as his peer-support job with SCIA, Jason works online for 12 hours across the weekend as a call taker or dispatcher organising wheelchair-accessible taxis.

Jason doesn't mind his long working week. "For 18 years, I've known what it's like not to work. You've just got to make your own destiny."

That's why, 21 years after his injury, Jason smiles warmly and looks out across the water of Budgewoi Lake with a sense of achievement and joy. Kate's a big part of that joy too.

"Life like this is something I thought would never happen for me. I never thought relationships would work out again. But they do."

"I really just want to age happily and healthily."