Chris Perry wears a cheeky smile every day, a smile that shows the positivity that’s kept him going through a journey which sees him overcome monumental adversity to do the simple things many take for granted.
“It was like a light switch that turned my whole body off,” Chris remembers.
The Buderim father-of-two was on a camping trip with family and friends fetching firewood when he came off his push bike, breaking his neck and suffering a spinal cord injury.
“I couldn’t feel my legs or arms, I was completely conscious and in spinal shock, it wasn’t until we got to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) that we realised how serious it was.”
Chris was declared an ASIA A quadriplegic with no movement below his neck, his wife Ambre was told that he may never walk again and would be unlikely to breathe unassisted.
The news was devastating for the young family whose life was changed in an instant.
Laying in the ICU at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Chris remembers his mindset in the early days.
“I couldn’t take not playing footy with my son again or throwing my daughter around in the pool.
“It wasn’t an option for me to lie down and take that advice that I was never going to walk again.
“I wasn’t having a bar of it,” Chris says.
After transferring to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH), Chris got to work on regaining his mobility, using one simple mantra.
“One percent better every day, that’s what keeps me going, I didn’t set my goals too high because if you don’t reach your goals you get down.
“It’s a small target, you do something different that you couldn’t do yesterday then you reach your target and it’s hard to get down about it.”
Whilst at SCUH, Chris formed a close bond with the rehab health team and was able to regain some independence thanks to a power wheelchair funded by Wishlist.
“Being able to have the freedom to get around, go down and have lunch or go outside and get some air has been the best thing that’s happened to me in this place - besides getting better.
“It makes you feel like you’re not trapped in the hospital,” Chris says of the power wheelchair.
Ambre has been at Chris’ side every day since the accident, balancing the care of their two children, her work and being there for her husband as he fights the battle of his life.
Ambre saw firsthand the difference the power wheelchair made to Chris and was also able to take the family to Wishlist Centre opposite SCUH, where the family could take a break from the hospital.
“Instead of dragging the kids into hospital every afternoon we were able to go over to Wishlist Centre - they have a playground, cooking facilities and they welcomed us with open arms and made us feel like we had a space close to the hospital where we felt comfortable,” Ambre says.
Getting one percent better every day, Chris was able to start regaining the use of his hands, his arms and eventually took his first steps three months after the accident.
“My progression is because of my wife and my two kids, they’ve always been my motivation every day to get better, I just want to be their protector again,” Chris says.
Within four months, Chris was able to walk over short distances and took part in Wishlist K’s 4 Cancer, walking the last 100 meters to cross the finish line.
Cheered on by his family and the health heroes that helped him get back on his feet, Chris walked out of hospital 131 days after being told he may never walk again, a testament to the power of hard work, a positive attitude, and a smile.
The whole family are now fundraising for a $7,000 single-arm wheelchair to help others facing a long road to recovery at SCUH and give back for the incredible care they received here at the SCHHS.
To make a difference to patients like Chris donate to Wishlist today at wishlist.org.au.
