Michael’s Story

It was the end of the working week and a regular Friday morning when Michael headed off to his usual early start at the hospital building site.

This, however, would be no regular working day for the talented builder and tiler.

His arrival at the hospital was instead via ambulance with lights ablaze and sirens blaring after being hit by a truck that heralded the end of life as he had known it and the beginning of a whole new world of challenges and complexities he could never have imagined to be his destiny.

Three times Michael would die that fateful day and three times medical staff would bring him back to life, albeit one that would be vastly different to all he had ever known. In ICU, he would suffer a stroke that further complicated his prognosis.

After a long journey of healing Michael had to reconcile a new reality, one which featured permanent disability and total transformation.

Michael is a firm believer of “living the life to the fullest, because you never know what’s around the corner,” a quote he lives by having lost his wife to cancer two years ago and having had to give up care of their daughter due to the struggles of his acquired brain injury and physical disabilities.

It was the constant deterioration in his abilities and a number of falls that led the family to reach out to Holistic Horizons to ensure Michael could continue to enjoy life to the fullest including his passion for food and a regular BBQ.
Holistic Horizons provides Michael with a support worker 24/7. Ryan, one of those workers, has become Michael’s best mate and biggest supporter and provides care that is based on empowering Michael in the decisions that impact his life and compassion for the circumstances that see his condition deteriorating.

Ryan has noticed that Michael is now taking longer to do things and gets tired much more quickly than previously and that his memory is increasingly impacted by the trauma he has been dealt.
With empathy and patience, Ryan and the rest of the team at Holistic Horizons ensure Michael continues to enjoy life to the fullest.

Surrounded by memories of a former life that saw him build his home from the ground up, the surrounding sheds filled with building equipment that now lies unused and the horse stables a long-ago memory of riding, mental health support is integral to Michael’s well-being.

Holistic Horizons ensures that Michael’s vastly different life is one that is filled to the brim with opportunity, fantastic experiences and fulfilment and he gets to live each day to the fullest in inspiring fashion that belies the tragedy he has experienced.

Do not miss the opportunity to visit the specialist team at Holistic Horizons at the Brisbane Disability Connection Expo to better understand how they can provide you with the supports that will enhance your life, fulfil your potential and expand your opportunities to achieve an amazing life, just as they have done for Michael.

Connect with the family-friendly team at Holistic Horizons on 3rd and 4th March 2023 at the Brisbane Disability Connection Expo.