Andrew Fox - Bracken Ridge

Andrew Fox from Bracken Ridge

My name is Andrew Fox. I'm a patient at the Jacana Centre. I was — and always have been — an energetic, excited, motivated, social and hard working person. I had a loving family, an amazing group of friends and a job that I loved.

One night, after a normal day's work, I was getting ready to go to sleep. I took one step and had a stroke that caused me to fall into my bed. When I woke, I found the life I knew had been stolen away from me.

Getting me through this problem that had occurred so suddenly were my family, friends and my drive for life. The possibility of working in my old profession as an event manager helped me along as well. These are the people and opportunities that made overcoming my challenge possible.

They gave me the confidence to move my upper body, dress myself, transfer from chair to bed, improve my speech and mouth control, and work towards eating a normal diet. Overcoming these challenges has given me a new outlook on life.

I praise people who grow up with a disability. They overcome challenges every day of their lives, and I admire their spirit and determination. I have learned that whatever you face in life, it can be overcome and beaten with determination, spirit and will.