Spinal Cord Injuries Australia will be holding a forum in Wagga in July to create community and advocate for people with spinal injuries. Photo: Spinal Cord Injuries Australia.
Spinal injuries are more common than some may realise.
According to Spinal Cord Injuries Australia, more than 20,000 people suffer with some kind of spinal injury, with at least one new injury case every day.
While common spinal injuries result in restricted movement and mobility, many injuries are hidden, leaving a lot of sufferers feeling isolated and alone.
Obrene Creek man David Ham and Spinal Cord Injuries Australia are trying to change this.
“We will be holding a forum at the Rules Club on Wednesday 23 July at 2 pm with hopes of connecting people with injuries and creating a bit of a community,” Mr Ham said.
“We’re trying to extend our presence across the Blue Mountains and get out to some of these more rural areas and small towns and cities.
“Our goal is to support people in the area with spinal cord injuries and create a bit of an advocacy group here.”
Mr Ham detailed his own experiences and what led him to run the forum in hopes of bringing more people with spinal cord injuries together.
“I had the accident eight years ago, and I was in Prince of Wales Hospital in Sydney,” Mr Ham said.
“I came back to Wagga and noticed that I don’t seem to have much connection with other people who’ve got similar injuries.
“In my case, I’m a very high-functioning incomplete quadriplegic. Now, what that means is that I can walk. For example, I don’t walk particularly well, and my balance is not particularly good, but I can walk.
“But when I meet someone, I look quite normal, but often there are hidden problems with bowels and bladder and all those sorts of things.
“I live on a farm 80 kilometres southeast of Wagga, and I run my farm with Merino. I have seven or 8000 sheep, depending on the time. And so I’m already isolated, and then further isolated, I guess, by not having too many peers in Wagga and the surrounding towns. I’m sure there’ll be a lot of people down this way who feel the same thing.”
Mr Ham detailed some of the things he hopes to advocate for if the group is successful.
“I think to get a positive response would be fantastic. The intention would be to have further get-togethers, all sorts of things like social activities,” he said.
“We want to share information as well, and we want to know what people would like us to advocate for.
“Everyone knows the railway line is going to be upgraded, and the railway bridges all have to be elevated for the new trains to go through. We need to make that accessible for wheelchairs; that’s an example of something we can advocate for.
“There are also things like the number of disabled parking spaces and accessibility to certain places. We’re looking to be a group that can work on all of those different things locally.”
The Spinal Cord Injuries Australia forum will be held at the Rules Club Wagga Wagga, 188 Fernleigh Rd, Glenfield Park at 2 pm on Wednesday 23 July.
