Patient stories
First-hand stories of injury, illness and recovery.
Brain injury10 AprLife changed in the blink of an eye for the world class professional skier following a horrific crash on the slopes. Here she shares her traumatic brain injury story with Emma Chesworth.
Jamie MoCrazy saw her life change in an instant while she was competing in the World Tour Finals in Whistler, Canada in April 2015. Aged 22, she was at the top of the slopestyle freestyle skiing world, when she suffered a massive crash at the Finals, causing her brain to bleed in eight spots and paralysis on her right side. For Jamie, skiing had been her life. She says: “I started skiing as soon as I could walk. My whole family skied so it was a lifestyle for me. I also competed in gymnastics as a young child and I dreamed of combining skiing and gymnastics. When I learned about slopestyle and halfpipe skiing, two kinds of freestyle skiing, that dream became a reality.” Jamie, from Park City, Utah, went on to be a world cup professional skier competing at international competitions including the Dew Tour, X Games and the AFP World Championships. Following her life-changing crash eight years ago, Jamie’s challenge changed from competing to surviving.
Care & services28 MarFormer Judo instructor Brian is being supported by Askham Rehab in regaining his independence
Spinal injury23 MarHow specialist therapy is supporting his recovery and giving renewed hope for the future
Brain injury21 MarBrain injury survivor Tim Richens on why his priority is making people feel better about their lives
Patient stories20 MarAsk any parent to share their biggest fear when it comes to their children and the chances are, you’ll find a common theme - a dreaded phone call from the police.
For Peter Freeman, however, it was not the phone call that burned into his memory, instead it was the moment he arrived at the hospital after his 17-year-old daughter’s car crash in 2010. Thankfully, despite two broken legs, a fractured pelvis and, most significantly, a traumatic brain injury, Nicola survived. While the initial shock may have been behind them, the Freemans’ ordeal had just begun.
Patient stories17 MarDr Bruce Powell was Australia’s longest-serving state director of organ and tissue donation, an experienced anaesthetist and head of an intensive care unit before a horrific cycling accident halted his career. During his 25-year career, Dr Powell worked as a medical officer with the Royal Navy, and as a kidney specialist, intensive care doctor and anaesthetist in the Australian health system. He led a new intensive care unit in Western Australia’s Rockingham Hospital and after introducing an organ donation operation within the facility, he was asked by the Australian Government’s organ donation authority, DonateLife, to lead their work throughout Western Australia. But his impressive career would come to a dramatic end in September 2018 when he took a trip to the east coast of Australia to compete in a charity bike ride on the Great Ocean Road.
Stroke13 MarHere, in the final part of our three-part series on young stroke survivor Garrett Mendez, Dr Alyse Sicklick shares with SR Times her experience of treating younger stroke patients. SRT: What are the key elements that elevate a younger person's risk of stroke? AS: "Many of the risk factors that can affect an older person’s [...]
- Stroke22 Feb
In the second part of a three-part series on young stroke survivor Garrett Mendez, who was only 19-years-old when he had a stroke, his mother Eileen Mendez shares her recollection of her son’s stroke and recovery. Garrett's stroke was caused by a head first hit into the boards during a hockey game. The hit occurred [...]
- Stroke22 Feb
Meet 51-year-old, Wigan Athletic fan Ian Carter who had a stroke whilst watching his beloved Tics, here he shares his stroke survival story with SR Times. 1st September 2018, Ian attended a home game of his beloved Wigan Athletic, as they hosted Rotherham United in a EFL Championship fixture, in which they won 1-0. For [...]
- Stroke20 Feb
In the first of a three-part series on stroke survivor Garrett Mendez, who was only 19 years old when he had a stroke, we speak with Garrett himself on his survival story. SR: Could you give us an introduction to yourself and your life pre-stroke? I am currently 36 years old. I live in Trumbull, [...]
