March 2021 Appeal
You can help make a difference to
thousands of people
Give generously
Every day, in many ways your generosity is helping to make a difference to the lives of thousands of people living with a spinal cord injury or neurological condition.
In Australia, there are an estimated 971,000 people living with neurological and spinal conditions and every day a person endures a spinal cord injury. With your commitment and help it means we can give people choices, particularly at a time when it’s crucial for the right help and advice.
SCIA’s Peer and Family Support Team are the best choice to help people with their rehabilitation, each one of them can talk about their own lived experiences and understand how helpless people are feeling following their trauma or accident.
They’re there to assist people in their rehabilitation hospital journey and transition to home to ensure that people feel confident are not alone or without support.
During the pandemic last year, access to the spinal units at the hospitals was restricted. The service and support had to be adapted quickly, with the aid of various online platforms and Telehealth, we were able to bring the peer support to rehab patients virtually. Additionally, the team were involved in producing self-help videos and mental health initiatives which benefitted themselves and the clients they were supporting.
We’re pleased to say the Peer and Family Support teams are now once again back working face to face with their clients.
The Peer and Family Support team is Rob, Dan, Branka, Jessica, Kate, Ben, Jason, located in NSW and Anne and Lachlan, in WA.
SCIA is a unique organisation and the largest employer of people with physical disabilities, currently employing 137 people in NSW, ACT, SA, Victoria, & WA – 24% of our staff have a physical disability.
Help us to continue to build opportunities and provide accessible support for all people with spinal cord injuries and neurological conditions by making a donation today
Kate’s Story
Team member Kate’s own experiences enable her to give so much back to clients and she knows only too well what it feels like to be told “you will never walk again.”
Kate sustained multiple injuries when the horse she was riding at Warwick Farm was hit head-on by a rider-less horse, ending her decade long career in horse racing, robbing her of her lifelong passion and shattering her dreams of becoming a racehorse trainer.
It’s been almost five years since the day Kate’s life changed forever, she underwent many months of rehabilitation and managed to regain enough function to be able to walk short distances with a walking frame, but she suffered through some very dark days.
Kate added, “Being part of the team and working for SCIA at the Royal Rehab hospital is extremely rewarding, I work hard to try to ensure that no one else ever feels the despair that I felt in those early days. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my experiences with the people who are scared of what is ahead and show them that life can still be great.”
