Ben had been sharing a house with his cousin and working in Adelaide after moving from Gippsland, Victoria, where his family lives.
In February 1999, Ben borrowed his cousin's car. He didn't have a driver's licence.
On his way home - less than a kilometre from his house, Ben lost control of the car and skidded into a tree, writing off the vehicle and suffering severe head and leg injuries. He was rushed to Royal Adelaide Hospital and placed in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on life support. He was in a coma, and doctors feared the worse. Ben was 18 at the time. His family (Mum, Dad, 3 brothers and their partners) drove through the night to be with him. They never left his side, with someone with him all of the time.
Ben wasn't responding to treatment, scans showed that his brain was swelling and the doctors were not getting any reaction from him at all.
1999 wasn't their year. About a month before, Ben's older brother Colin, lost his hand in a work accident and hadn't been long out of hospital himself. He had to arrange Occupational Therapy while staying in Adelaide and was suffering a lot, but always put Ben's welfare before his own. Colin and his partner Sally had enough to deal with but it didn't stop them from being constantly by Ben's side, along with the rest of the family.
At the end of March, doctors recommended that Ben's life support be switched off and his family consider organ donation. He still wasn't responding and having episodes of unexplained brain swelling. Ben's family requested that his sedation be reduced. It was, and Ben started to breathe on his own. He was still in a coma and Ben's family was told that if he ever awoke, he would be in a complete vegetative state.
Eventually, Ben was moved out of ICU into a room of his own. At this time, some of Ben's family had to return home. Ben's Mum Kaye, his brother Colin and Colin's partner Sally stayed. Ben and Colin's Dad Rodney, had to return to work but would drive to Adelaide whenever his shift allowed it.
There was no definite transition from coma to awareness, but gradually Ben would open his eyes and become agitated when staff needed to suction his lungs. It was suggested to Ben's family that this would be the extent of his recovery.
Kaye and Rodney organised for Ben to return to Gippsland as the waiting list for Adelaide's rehabilitation centres was long and it was too far from his family. Because Ben didn't have a licence, the car insurance would not cover any of Ben's costs and South Australia's SGIC (government third party insurance) doesn't cover the driver of a single car accident. So with his parent's paying the bill, Ben was flown back to Victoria by the RFDS. Arrangements were made to place Ben in a nursing home until Kaye and Rodney could modify their house to care for him.
Soon Ben was back home with his parents and he immediately began to improve.
A long and hard road has been travelled by Ben and his family, numerous hospital visits, physiotherapy, operations, you name it and Ben has most probably had it. The support of Ben's family, friends and the small community in which they live has been enormous. The Victorian Government has helped with the donation of special equipment needed and money raised by the 'Friends of Ben' has helped to pay for other needed things.
Today, at 21, Ben understands perfectly what you say and can communicate by hand signs or typing on his specially modified computer. He definitely hasn't lost his sense of humour. He has an electric wheelchair that he gets about in (it has been banned from the house because of broken windows) and has generally improved about 500% on what the doctors said would be his capabilities. If it wasn't for the love, support and dedication of Ben's family, I don't believe he would have recovered as much as he has. There is a great difference in being cared for in an institution (no matter how great the staff is, they can only give so much) and by a family who has sacrificed a lot to provide the best care from home. Not everyone could do that but it is amazing what the power of love can do.
Even when their lives were at their lowest, Ben and his family didn't give up. They are an inspiration to me and all who know them.
MAY 2003 UPDATE
Ben has progressed really well. His funding from Slow to Recover has been decreased, he is only entitled to 8 hours a year of physio, speech and OT so basically all that means is that Ben is still in the system.
Ben washes the dishes after each meal.
Kaye gets the clothes off the line but Ben brings them in and puts them on the chair for Kaye to fold.
Ben's dad Rodney hooks the lawnmower up to the wheelchair and Ben mows the front and back lawn and does a bloody good job!
Ben lets the cat and dog outside when they are at the back or front door, he can make his bed and is pretty fast on his talker as well.
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