This is exactly what Kath, her husband Dave, and their children Chloe and Abbie thought before that August night in 2021 when a devastating accident occurred. Kath dove into a pool and sustained a C4/5 spinal cord injury, leaving her without the use of her legs and with partial use of her arms.
Due to the COVID lockdown, friends, family, and even Dave, Chloe, and Abbie were unable to visit Kath. In response, Dave created a WhatsApp group chat to keep everyone updated on Kath’s progress. The chat quickly filled up, with Dave likening it to a party Kath would throw—a true testament to how loved she is. Despite undergoing numerous operations, medical procedures, and intense rehab, a hospital stay expected to last 12 months ended in just over 12 weeks.
Dealing with the devastation of her injury, being away from family, and isolated from any visitors due to COVID, would render anyone inconsolable. However, Kath, known as ‘The Unicorn,’ quickly asked, “What can we do for others in this same situation?” From this, Stronger Together was born.
After the huge success of our 3 accessible vehicles on the road, we strive to continue our mission of making a difference to locals affected by SCI.
Our vision for 2024 aligns with our quest for providing accessible transport at zero cost, but goes beyond just transportation. Our next goal is a fully equipped mobile nurse unit to bridge the gap between hospital and home.
The service will provide a source of knowledge and experience in SCI to make this transition as smooth as possible, while also minimising health complications. As part of this service, our care team will provide assistance in establishing a daily routine, not just for the client but also for their family and carers. We hope to establish a regular clinic for those carers, informing and educating them further in the specific care of individuals with SCI.
What if the ability to repair a spinal cord injury became a reality? There is multiple foundations currently undertaking research to make this happen. Want to know more? Click on the logos for more information.
