Jason… in his own words

NIISQ participant Jason recently shared his story at the Queensland Brain Injury Collaborative and NIISQ Agency Roadshow Toowoomba Community Event. His whole life changed on 10 August 2017 when he was in a car accident and sustained a broken back and neck, and a traumatic brain injury. He was air lifted by LifeFlight to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane where he spent the next 7 months.

Jason is a Disability Advocate and spends his time embracing the changes he has experienced since the accident and looking for ways to connect, give back and to continue to improve. He went from representing Australia in rugby for the Defence Force, playing against England and New Zealand to participating in the Queensland Ballet for Brain Injury pilot program and is equally as proud of both achievements.

As a lifetime NIISQ participant, Jason has been looking at ways to embrace new technology to assist in his recovery, for example using the app called Google Lense. He continues to work with his Speech Therapist on his aphasia, which impacts his ability to ‘find’ words quickly and by sharing his story, Jason looks to shine a light on what some call the ‘invisible disability’ of brain injury.

His passion project is his farm ‘Stones Throw Away’, where he is building an animal assisted retreat, with a focus on sustainability, for anyone who is looking to experience the joys of being outside, surrounded by nature. It doesn’t hurt that he has a menagerie of fantastic farm animals who love to be bottle fed and pat, including his beloved dog Bruce and his horse, Blue.

Listen to Jason’s story in his own words by watching his Queensland Brain Injury Collaborative Community Event presentation below.