Paraplegic Benefit Fund

Jodie’s life changed forever when she was struck by a motor vehicle whilst cycling. The driver had been drinking, was found to be fatigued at the time as well as using their mobile phone whist driving!

Working as a dietician and gym operator, the spinal cord injuries Jodie sustained in this cycling accident completely changed the course of her life.

Jodie is an engaging presenter and has a passion for educating drivers. Her goal is to help minimise the number of drivers on Australian roads that continue to use their phones or drive whilst intoxicated.

“Please don’t speed. The last thing you want is to spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair”

Neil was working overseas and had pressure from the culture he worked in to get the job done quickly. This meant getting from one appointment to the next in very tight timeframes. In order to make his delivery on time Neil was cruising at 160km/h when the rear tyre burst. The vehicle rolled, Neil was thrown from the car.

Neil sustained many injuries with the most severe being a permanent and complete spinal lesion. Neil shares his story with high school students and workplaces so people can hear firsthand the personal consequences of speeding.

In an instant Michael’s life changed.

Growing up Michael loved cars, sport, and having fun with his mates.  One evening, when a passenger in his mate’s car, this fun turned to tragedy. His mate lost control and crashed into a tree. There were six people in the car, and none were wearing seatbelts. Michael was left a paraplegic. In an instant Michael’s life changed. He found things hard but was determined to make life good again. He started new challenges and got back his old job as a groundskeeper at a local primary school, inspiring many with the quality of his work from his wheelchair. He used his skills to win a gold medal for Australia in the landscaping category at the Abilympics.

Michael shares his story, challenging young drivers to think about making the right choices now, before it is too late.

“Youth, inexperience and a country dirt road resulted in disaster for me.”

Megan had just finished year 12 when the decision to attend a mate’s father’s funeral changed her life forever.  Driving 530km didn’t seem daunting at all – she was 17, had her licence and all the confidence in the world.  A long country dirt road was Megan’s downfall. She lost control of the vehicle in loose gravel and careered through a paddock fence rolling 6 or 7 times. The driver’s door opened and the top half of her body was bounced against the hard dirt as the car rolled.

A fractured skull, head injuries, fractures to C6 & C7, collapsed lungs and a stroke were Megan’s initial injuries. She spent four months in hospital, another six months in a rehabilitation hospital and had open heart surgery. Megan left hospital in a wheelchair, paralysed down her left side. Over the next 5 years, she managed to graduate to a calliper, leg braces and finally a walking stick.

Megan currently works as a Teacher’s Aide, drives, swims, and socialises with friends – but has to contend with people drawing conclusions about her ability or disability. By sharing her story, Megan hopes that she can prevent young people from making silly mistakes and taking risks when driving.

It was a normal day at work when Aodhan’s life changed.

In 2017, he was 26 years old and working as a long distance truck driver. The day of the crash began like any other. Aodhan was up early and rode to work on his motorcycle. He checked the truck over to make sure it was in working order, then he set off on the road.

He was driving on a rural highway at 100km/h around 7am, when a caravan came towards him on the wrong side of the road. Aodhan took corrective measures, but it sent him off the road. The truck rolled and he was thrown from the cabin of the truck, and sustained a T5 level injury.

Today Aodhan works with PBF to share his story to help prevent similar outcomes. His motto is “keep on winning” because every day that you wake up, you’re winning.

“I always knew about the dangers on the road, but I never thought anything would happen to me. After going through a life changing accident, I am so much more aware and vigil about the precautions and responsibility everyone must take to keep our roads safe.” 

Jayden was a football coach/academy trainer and playing at semi-professional level and had just received some interest from multiple academies to progress further in this exciting direction.

At 19, not long after graduating high school, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon Jayden felt pressured into going out for some drinks with some mates. There was a full car and designated driver. Down a lone back road, with the driver exceeding the speed limit, losing concentration and control of the car, Jayden’s life changed forever. Two days later, after an induced coma, Jayden was told he sustained a C6/C7 spinal cord injury. Jayden is now a quadriplegic forever.

Today Jayden is a fully independent man with a hunger for fitness and inspiring others to make better life choices. He now plays rugby for New South Wales and is an Australian Wheelchair Rugby Athlete. Through PBF, Jayden tells his story to educate young minds and hopefully make people think about the choices they make.

As a young, gifted athlete, Jax always lived life to the fullest.  

But on 12th November 2012 her life changed forever. Jax was riding her motorbike home from work when another distracted driver, who was texting and running late for work, pulled out in front of her. Jax slammed straight into the side of the car and was thrown into the middle of the road. She sustained life changing injuries, including damage to her spinal cord in two places (C2 – C6 and L1 – S1). 

After time in ICU, Jax spent over a month in hospital focusing on her physical rehabilitation. She was determined to learn to walk again as quickly as possible and did so within a week after injury. This being possible due to her athletic determination and “never give up” attitude.  

PBF Australia now provides Jax with a platform to share her story and to help educate young people about the importance of road safety. She hopes that drivers will think twice before using their phones or driving whilst distracted.

“Safety is an attitude and can be adjusted.”

While working as a yacht delivery skipper in Greece, Mike fell from a friend’s yacht in the dry dock. The fall resulted in spinal injuries that caused permanent paraplegia. In 2001 Mike returned to his home in Perth, and now works part time as a PBF speaker conducting workplace presentations on the importance of safety.

Mike’s story reveals all of the challenges a paraplegic faces – from financial ruin to ongoing health issues. Mike is extremely passionate about responsibility and safety, and his engaging story resonates with workplace audiences and community groups. Sometime after his accident, Mike generously sailed to East Timor to deliver wheelchairs to underprivileged children.

Mike is planning his next sailing voyage to depart Mandurah, hoping to make Geraldton his destination. Mike will be stopping in a number of ports along the way promoting both the importance of having a good attitude regarding safety and the purpose and work that PBF Australia does.

Don was 60 when his injury occurred. It was 2012, and Don was working on a vehicle in his carport. Tinkering with cars was his hobby, and something he had done for 43 years. However, on this particular day, he had not checked that the chocks were in place and the handbrake properly on.

He was under the vehicle, when the car suddenly rolled off the ramps. Don was rolled under the car three times, leaving him with a C5-C6 injury. He can feel nothing from the chest down, but he can still move his arms and wrists.

Today, Don works as a cartographer, as well as giving talks to schools and workplaces about the importance of safety.