Archive for category: Client Stories

At the Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust, we don’t just help those with traumatic brain injuries, but a wide range of injuries, from spinal, to acquired brain injuries. Matiu Payne is a client involved in a broad range of services at LFBIT after suffering a stroke in 2021. Here, Matiu shares his story of working to unlock the important knowledge within him, twenty months after his stroke. Matiu’s wife Dione has been his number one support and key advocate and she also contributes to this story.

Prior to his stroke, Matiu found himself incredibly busy. Matiu is of Ngāti Kinohaku and Ngāti Mutunga descent and enjoyed being involved with these iwi wherever possible, including attending wānanga and supporting his children to maintain whakapapa connections to these areas.

Matiu was a chair of one of the eighteen Rūnaka in Kāi Tahu, over in Koukourarata (Port Levy). This meant he oversaw the development of the Rūnaka’s social and commercial development and supported the hapū to develop and implement their aspirations.

He also ran his own company Hākari Rau, which ran several projects within the community. He was also a lecturer at Lincoln University as an expert in all areas of mahika kai. But, outside of work, he looked after the cultural aspects of his hapū. This involved taking care of the marae, all of the karakia, and the passing of Mātauraka Māori. All of these roles sat with Matiu, he was the one person that others would turn to, and the one to support the next generation.

Matiu’s busy life was suddenly put on pause, as a stroke caused a range of challenges for Matiu, including a right hemiplegia (half of his body didn’t work) and aphasia (language difficulties).

Two kaumātua who have provided vital support to Matiu are Matua Ruawhitu Pokaia and his wife Whaea Marisa. They have provided constant support from the time of his stroke by leading and facilitating karakia every night for four months until his discharge from Burwood Hospital, to their current cultural and spiritual support through continued engagement, support with te reo and karakia. Other kaumatua that have been important to him are Matua Henare Te Karu and his wife Whaea Miriama from Te Runaka ki Ōtautahi o Kai Tahu, Whaea Reihana (Doe) Parata, from his hapu at Rapaki, Ngati Wheke and Rik Tainui from Onuku Runaka who provided his whānau accommodation support while he was in Christchurch Hospital fighting to stay alive.

Matua Ruawhitu was also instrumental in paving the way for Matiu to utilise one of the kaumātua flats at Rehua Marae to support his range of rehabilitation support. The support from the Kāhui Kaumātua at Rehua and the Board has meant that Matiu has been able to access support from Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust throughout the week for the past 20 months. Without the support of Rehua Marae, Matiu does not believe his progress would be as far along as it’s been.

Communication was one of the most significant challenges for Matiu following his stroke. Matiu now has aphasia, which affects his ability to express and understand verbal and written language, not only in English, but also Te Reo Māori. This is especially significant, as his role and culture is founded on transmitting through language, more often orally rather than written. Matiu is one of the people given historical and geological information, and he has found himself in a position where it feels stuck in his mind. So, Matiu’s main goal in rehabilitation is to unlock this information.

Beyond the challenges in communication, Matiu is working hard to regain control of his body. Autonomy in things like driving a car was taken away, but through working with his physiotherapist, he has been able to work first on things like getting up off the ground, and now walking. He has even had some recent trips to have a walk on the beach.

“It was fantastic. I got to get up and out there,” says Matiu. “I saw the beach at Waimairi, the whole thing was wonderfully good. I didn’t get to do it for nineteen months. That felt wonderful.”

To aid with his physical rehab, Matiu is also receiving acupuncture twice a week, which Matiu says is having an amazing impact on his body.

Matiu works well with his rehab coach, and occupational therapist (OT), to help with everyday tasks such as opening and closing curtains, dressing, cooking and leisure activities such as carving. He has recently passed a driving assessment with help from his OT and is now well on his way to returning to driving in a modified vehicle. In the meantime, Matiu happily taxis to and from LFBIT, after a long time of having services come to him.

Matiu also meets with a psychologist on a fortnightly basis to help him adjust to life after a stroke and develop strategies to deal with his emotions.

“They were all very good with me, teaching me how to manage that. I love going to see them, they’re really good. When you’re talking to the team, it feels like they are giving everything they’ve got. They come along and they give me a good push.”

The most significant rehab Matiu takes part in is speech-language therapy, where he works one or two days a week practicing everyday communication in real life by travelling to cafes, the library, shops and supermarkets. At first, Matiu found this to be a daunting task, but now he says some of the challenges he initially felt, he doesn’t even think about anymore.

“So my words were very small, I could only just share my name, but my speech-language therapist Del just gave me a good nudge and gives me the hope and strength that I need that I didn’t have from within.”

Matiu’s wife, Dione says the impact of his hard work in speech-language therapy has already shown itself in multiple ways.

“The confidence he has gained through speech-language therapy has been huge. There was a major funeral here at the Rehua Marae; there were hundreds of people that came through. Ordinarily, Matiu would stay home. But he walked us over to the marae, sat for two days, and communicated with hundreds of people, all in Te Reo. He would stay for about four or five hours and then come back for a sleep. He kept his door open and people were coming in and out; he got to watch the kapa haka and enjoy the food. If he hadn’t had the previous twelve months of engagement in the community through speech-language therapy, he would never have been able to be a part of it.”

Matiu has also managed to have a few trips overseas, engaging with family in the North Island, and even to Melbourne and Sydney in Australia. Matiu hopes to continue travelling out into the community, which feels even greater now, as he no longer needs a wheelchair to maneuver, giving him further autonomy and freedom.

Looking to the future, Matiu has a large list of goals that he hopes to achieve. So, he is excited to see what the next six months bring, with the increased independence and progress that he may make in that time.

“I think about how hard he’s worked with all of you guys, and I’m like gosh, I am blessed,” says Dionne. “Things can go in different ways if you don’t have the phenomenal spirit that this guy has. The silver lining is that Matiu’s stroke has given us more time to spend together and appreciate each other, away from the busyness of life.”

Matiu knows that he cannot rush back into his mahi, but is excited to begin finding ways back into it, and to open the door to the knowledge he has to share. He is going to begin working with Te Reo tutors to further support his language progress. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story with us Matiu, and we can’t wait to continue supporting you to reach your goals!

Traumatic brain injury can often arrive at the unlikeliest of times. When it does, it creates an imbalance in one’s life – just like that.

For John Farrington, it was not through his lifelong love of rugby where he acquired his TBI, but rather in the comfort of his own home, on a quiet Saturday afternoon.

For John’s whole life, rugby has been a place of purpose and comfort. After first putting his hands on the ball for his team when he was four, John was hooked. He played for the Cashmere second fifteen through high school, continuing beyond to play for Linwood, the Colts, and spent three years in senior reserve rugby. He later joined the rugby union and took on several senior roles for his local clubs over the years.

“I had a good variety of stuff to do with the club,” says John, “I thoroughly enjoyed that.”

This variety was essential to John, as he attended to his non-stop shift work during the week. It was an exhausting schedule, with hours varying throughout the week, starting with a 6am to 2pm, before transitioning into a 2pm to 10pm, and finally, a draining 10pm to 6am shift.

“It was pretty tiring and it took a bit of life out of you. That’s why I enjoyed rugby, getting to the weekend. It was something that lifted me. I knew I was a lot better doing that than being stuck at work all of the time. It kept me going.”

The day John received his traumatic brain injury, there was no rugby to be seen. It was a regular Saturday, on October the 12th, 2019, when John found himself in the roof of his garage. A weary ladder held together enough to get John up, but he was unsure of its strength on the way down.

He held onto the inside of the roof as he placed his legs on either side of the ladder. The next second, the ladder split beneath him. As he fell, his head slid down the wall.

“And I knew nothing more about that.”

John’s wife, Margaret, and his brother in law took care of John as the ambulance arrived, who then took John into the ICU. For the next two weeks, John was under 24-hour surveillance in Christchurch Hospital. At times, he would wake, and begin to pull bits of equipment and bandaging off of himself that felt uncomfortable. He had no sense of his surroundings and had to be kept on close watch.

After his time in hospital, John spent the next two months with us at the Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust. And his journey began in facing new life challenges created by his TBI.

John says the two most difficult challenges at the time were managing his balance and independence.

“I’ve always been an independent person. I like my own ways of doing things and getting around, and I wasn’t allowed that as I was recovering. I had to listen to what they were asking to get back on my feet. It probably took me two to three weeks to properly restart and start listening to their instructions.

Independence was a difficult thing to achieve, as John’s balance had completely disappeared. He could not get himself out of his bed without falling over. It took a huge effort from John, with the help of our physiotherapists, to regain this balance. It was a process John found frightening.

“There was one exercise where I had to climb up a little four-step staircase and then go down that side. To start with I didn’t feel safe, I thought I was falling backwards all of the time.”

With support from the team, John worked his way towards making it over these steps, and has made brilliant progress to this day; this is possible because he was willing to work with the whole range of team members; psychologists to help with memory, occupational therapists to help return to day to day life, speech and language therapists, rehab coaches, dieticians, and nurses for everyday tasks, or even just a nice walk around the river.

“I quite liked it out there because they’re all such friendly people. They are a good family; they know who you are.”

“John was a true gentleman who engaged well with the whole team and it was lovely to see him progressing,” says Val Sandston – Community Nursing Manager. “It was always good to see John on his many return visits to the rehab unit and see his progress.”

John returned a week before Christmas of 2019, after almost three months away from home. He, like many, spent a lot of time at home during 2020, which gave him time to regain knowledge of his space, and time to spend with Margaret walking around the neighbourhood.

Life is different now for John, as he has to take more time to stop and think.

“I do not have much short term memory, so I have the calendar on the wall to help keep track of what is on. And before I had my brain injury, you could tell me to go somewhere and I’d find my way there just like that. It takes me a heck of a long time now to think about where places are.”

John continues to take part in our Reconnect Programme, where he comes together with a group of people in a similar situation to him once a week to get out and about. Activities vary from week to week, and John says bowling, golf, and visits to places like Lyttelton and Springston have been recent highlights.

“It has been good to meet the guys in the same situation as me, to get to know each other. Being stuck at home really got me down, I couldn’t stay here for weeks at a time watching telly.”

Through everything, John’s love of rugby has remained. And he has found an excellent way to use rugby in his rehabilitation journey. For each game he watches, John likes to journal the details for himself. Now, two and a half years on, John has an impressive stack of journaled games, featuring tables, try scorers, and all of the important details a rugby fan would need.

“It is quite a good thing to do for my memory. I’ve always enjoyed watching rugby and I always will, rugby is for me”

It is not only on paper where John has returned to rugby, as he is back working with the Hornby club, taking care of the eight and nine-year-old kids in their new ventures into the rugby world.

“I’m getting out more, I have my driver’s licence again and it feels good to have that. I’m doing really well at the moment, I am starting to be free again.”

“John sustained a very severe brain injury and for a long time, his communication and cognitive difficulties would have prevented him from taking part in this article,” says Siobhan Palmer, clinical neuropsychologist.

“His determination to return to participation in rugby has been a massive motivator for him. This helped him work with all the therapists: nursing, rehab coaches, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech & language therapy, dietician and psychology, as well as specialist assessments outside of LFBIT too.”

“One of the most important co-therapists was John’s wife Margaret, whose kindness and patience enabled him to remember his appointments if he forgot, but more importantly, she helped him remember his progress when he forgot how far he has come, and she reminded him to be kind to himself if he had a hard day. It was a real team effort!”

Rehabilitation was not always a straightforward path for John. But, with support from Margaret, the team at LFBIT, and by using his love for rugby, he has made brilliant progress in regaining balance in life. We are incredibly proud and inspired by your effort John, and are looking forward to having many more conversations about rugby in the future!

Living with a traumatic brain injury can be an isolating experience. But sometimes, out of that isolation, something incredible can bloom. Today we share the inspiring story of Mark Ashby.

In his early years, Mark was a model student; a prefect, an athlete, and a sprinter for Canterbury. He also came first in the high school senior’s 200-metre sprint.

Mark worked in operating theatres in hospitals around Christchurch, he was a sergeant in the order of St John and was studying hard to work as a radiographer.

“I always have been a person who cares about other people,” says Mark.

In 1993, Mark’s life suddenly transformed. He found himself in the passenger seat of a 1968 Ford Falcon GT, as it hit a power pole on the way home from the pub.

What followed was a challenging period in Mark’s life. It was difficult to depend on others for help, as walking and moving became difficult. During this time, one of the more unknown challenges that came to light was the social stigma surrounding TBI.

“I found the social stigma challenging, I had frustration with some people’s new attitudes towards me. I had to express that I was able to live, I do have time for others.”

Mark moved from Timaru to Christchurch and stayed with us in the residential home while seeking an apartment where he could be independent. While it was a time of isolation for Mark, he says it was a time that allowed him to grow in many ways. Today he is more aware of social behaviour, and he has gained significant independence.

“The isolation and stigma did occur, but with Laura Fergusson, I really wised up. I believe that since my accident, I’ve matured beyond my years. I’m elated with Laura Fergusson, all of the staff have been magic.”

These days, Mark is living in a positive space. He has learned how to keep a clear mind, and his memory has grown strong. Has been a part of our Reconnect group, and now enjoys an individual tailored programme as a part of our ACC funded Living My Life service. Mark says the Living My Life Rehab Coaches have helped him appreciate life, interact better with other, and improved the relationships in his life.

Mark’s determination in rehabilitation has gotten him incredibly far, and he feels that he will not be stopping any time soon.

“Even if things haven’t gone as expected during the week, Mark still always greets me with an upbeat attitude, with a strong focus on the positive,” says Trish, one of our wonderful rehabilitation coaches who works closely with Mark. “This, along with Mark’s determination to always be bettering himself as a person is inspiring.”

And better himself he does, as Mark loves going to the gym each week, and has found great success in bodybuilding. He has competed around the world in Perth, Hawaii, Arizona, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. He is a self-confessed “show pony,” but that title is rightly earned, as he came second in a competition for physically challenged.

“Bodybuilding has been great for my self-belief. I know I can do it because I have done it before.”

It is not only bodybuilding that Mark has found success, as his art has been featured around the country, including our very own Art and Sculpture exhibition last September.

“I’m glad I had the opportunity to have my art at many art galleries. They have been so good to me. I’ve had my art at a New Brighton cafe, as well as Ferrymead. I even got a letter from the Prime Minister, I’ve painted her daughter and herself.”

The creative opportunity is an essential part of Mark’s life today, as he finds it a form of expression that can be communicated to anyone and everyone. Through art, Mark has been able to be his own person, not defined by others. He says that his brain injury has even brought new flavours into his art!

“With art, there is a beauty, you can see beauty anywhere.”

As for the future, Mark says the sky is the limit. He wants to continue his progression in art and to continue expressing himself in new ways through it. He is also ready to do more travel with his bodybuilding, with his eyes on a potential trip to England to visit family and friends.

With support from his girlfriend Mary, and his young daughter, Mark is looking forward to continuing to grow into the future. We are excited to continue to grow with him, and we are greatly looking forward to what comes next in his inspiring journey!

If you were to come across Scott Clark, you would find a family man. An enthusiastic worker, who undertakes long physically demanding hours as a butcher, a union delegate, a leader of his local motorsport club.

What you may not see when you come across Scott is that at the end of 2020 he nearly lost his life after a car incident left him with a broken body, and a traumatic brain injury.

Before his accident, Scott worked as a freezing worker for ANZCO. It was a physically demanding job, requiring high levels of hand-eye coordination, while remaining quick and tidy. He would pride himself in his work, where he had spent 19 years of his life. He was a trusted member of the team, nominated by his room of 35 to represent them as a union delegate, and would even sharpen their knives.

As well as his work, Scott would pride himself in his hobbies. He loved his cars and was a member of the Ashburton Car Club Committee where he would help organise street sprints, track, and other events.

“That’s the sort of person that I found it hard to try and get back to,” says Scott, “It’s been a very, very challenging year.”

Coming to the end of 2020, Scott noted that the club had not done a gravel event for a few years. As he lived out in the country, he raised his hand and offered to scout a gravel track in rural Ashburton.

And so, Scott got hard at work in not only the creation of the event, but the improvement of his own car. He did not only want to create his own event and have a go, he wanted to be a contender!

As well as the hours it took to organise the event, Scott was working overtime at work, which involved eleven-hour days. As the event drew near, he worked for fourteen days straight for eleven hours, while also spending long nights working on his car to make it the best it could be.

One night, Scott worked on his car at his brother’s workshop until 3am, before deciding to drive home.

“I should have stayed the night at his place. I should have stayed on the couch, that would have been much safer.”

Around 4:30am, Scott fell asleep while driving and hit a power pole, not too distant from his home. It was a rainy night and he was not found until 7am, soaking wet and unconscious.

The ambulance arrived at 7:45am, and Scott was eventually airlifted to Christchurch Hospital. He was so cold from his time in the rain that they could not take his temperature until they made it back to the hospital.

Scott’s month-long stay in the hospital included six days in an induced coma, as well as surgery to both his hip and ankle. He had a hematoma in the head, bruising and bleeding in the brain, and a traumatic brain injury.

“It was kind of weird because I actually don’t remember the first three weeks after the accident. I didn’t even know how to use a straw. It’s not until you look back at how bad you were, that you realize how far you’ve come. It is amazing to see, but scary to go through.”

Naturally, recovery on this scale would present a huge challenge, as Scott had to relearn the basics of walking, talking, and self-care. After a month in hospital, Scott found himself in regular sessions with us at the Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust in psychology, physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy.

“It was very painful. And I felt like everyone is going to be expecting Scott to be back. But sessions with David my psychologist helped hugely. He’d say ‘if you’re going to climb a mountain, don’t look up to the top, take it day by day.’ He’s helped me a lot through this”

A second surgery to the hip eight months after the first meant he had to learn how to walk a second time, setting back his recovery once again. Through the challenges, Scott continued to focus on his future with the support of staff.

“The staff are lovely, and they’re all like psychologists in a way too. They’re someone to help you through the tough times, talk through the complications you’ve been having, and why you are feeling the way you are. I really appreciate everything they’ve done for me.”

“It has been a real pleasure and privilege to work with Scott and his family on his rehabilitation journey,” says Laura Silcock, one of our wonderful Speech-Language Therapists who worked closely with Scott. “It has been phenomenal to see how far he has come. Scott is incredibly driven and motivated, exceeding expectations and achieving all of the goals that he has set for himself. Despite experiencing setbacks along the way, Scott always greets us with a smile and works hard in every session. The results that he has achieved are a true testament to his work ethic and supportive network, especially his wife Lisa.”

A little over a year after his accident, Scott has recently returned to part-time work as a freezing worker, with the plan to return to full-time work by the end of February. To prepare, he has been working half days, before heading onto the gym to strengthen himself.

“The harder you work now, the easier it is going to be in the long run. That is the way I have had to work through this brain injury.”

Scott has also made a triumphant return to motorsport, recently taking part in a gravel event where he placed fifth in a field of 27. In previous years, he had twice been club champion by gaining the most points in their 15-20 races each year. While reclaiming the title may be out of immediate reach, Scott thinks he can claim it again in the future. He also hopes to one day return to his role as a union delegate.

While one may think Scott’s plans for the future may be too ambitious, Scott says working hard is the best advice he can give to those going through traumatic brain injury.

“One of the best pieces of advice that I got that I can pass on I got from my GP, he said ‘whatever you do, do not shelter yourself, don’t hide from things. If opportunities are there, take them.’ At first, I didn’t leave my lounge, I wanted to hide away. Taking opportunities is the best thing you can do for yourself.”

With his wife Lisa by his side, as well as his kids Max, Kyle, and Keeley, Scott has worked hard to return to “the old Scott.” However, if you were to come across Scott today, you would not find the old Scott. You would find a stronger man, with an incredible outlook on life, and an inspirational story to tell.

“I want to try and inspire even one person in a similar situation to mine. You will climb out of this hole. You might think ‘how am I ever going to get out of this?’ or ‘hopefully one day I wake up and it will all be better,’ but it’s not like that. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, there is a way out of this hole.”

Khadag Bista was born in Hariyon, Nepal. He was a chef and worked for many restaurants around the world. He was an active man and had a love for travelling, swimming, and most of all, food.

On the 31st of January 2018, Khadag had a serious car accident on Arundel Rakaia Gorge Road near Mayfield. He sustained a traumatic brain injury as well as many broken bones.

Following his accident, he spent 22 days in a coma in Christchurch Hospital. Ten days after the accident, his wife Sabita arrived in New Zealand from Nepal.

“His whole body was like a statue; he couldn’t walk, talk or eat. Little by little, there was progress. Slowly, slowly over a long time,” she says.

After 41 nights minimally conscious in Christchurch Hospital, Khadag moved to the rehabilitation unit at the Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust. He saw many therapists over his six-month stay. Speech-language therapists to help him relearn how to speak and eat again. Occupational therapists to help him practice everyday activities. Physiotherapists to help him stand and walk. Psychologists to help him adjust to his new life. And nurses to help him with his day-to-day life.

“Everyone tried hard to help me, and I slowly improved,” he says.

Khadag has put an incredible effort into his rehabilitation.

“Khadag is a very resilient and perseverant man,” says Naomi Siva a Rehab Coach of Khadag’s. “I have never seen him give up on any task we attempt. He is always keen to give a task his best go no matter how hard it is.

In August of 2018, Khadag, Sabita, and their two sons moved into a house in Christchurch. Khadag remains in ongoing rehabilitation but can now walk with a walker, eat, drink and communicate again.

He became an essential member of the Can Do Catering service, a social enterprise that employs residents and clients of the Laura Fergusson Brain Injury Trust. Can Do Catering allowed Khadag to rekindle his passion and to achieve what had seemed impossible, by once again becoming a chef.

“Khadag started working with the Can Do team as a volunteer,” says Vicky Harris, Catering Manager at Can Do Catering. “In those days peeling a carrot was quite challenging for him. However, it gave him great joy to be involved with food preparation again. In 2021 he became a paid employee and would often provide his own recipes. With support from our rehab staff, he prepared a main meal for our small group living clients. Cooking feeds his soul!”

After an incredibly challenging few years, Khadag has a positive outlook on life and encourages people to stay positive.

“I think my positive thoughts help me to recover. Whatever happens, happens. What will be, will be. What can I do? You need to accept help from others. You have to believe in yourself – if you do, then you can do it!”