Cairns man mentors people to embrace independence

Ian Chill hasn’t let his wheelchair stop him from doing anything – even bungy jumping.

The Cairns man’s can-do attitude makes him the ideal mentor for people with spinal cord injuries.

He knows what it’s like to be a newly-injured patient – adjusting physically and emotionally with changes to one’s body, family and life.

As the new Far North Queensland Spinal Injuries Association Peer Mentor, he assists newly-injured people in dealing with the reality of living with quadriplegia or paraplegia, inspiring them ‘from injury to independence’.

“When your life completely changes, it helps to have someone there who has been through the same thing – someone who can say “I know how you feel” and it’s the truth,” Ian said.

When Bob Moore returned to Cairns September last year after sustaining paraplegia in a workplace accident, Ian reached out to him.

Bob, a former roofer, is now a volunteer tutor at the local TAFE and a wheelchair basketball player. He has also learnt to drive again.

“It’s nice to meet people like Ian who are getting back out there, getting work and keeping themselves busy. It’s a good example,” Bob said.

“Ian is a mine of information on what places are accessible to people who use wheelchairs and is the sort of person you can ring if you are stuck for advice.”

Ian sustained paraplegia after falling 10 metres down a cave while on a peace keeping mission with the Royal Australian Navy in the Solomon Islands in 2004.

At that time he said he felt extremely vulnerable and didn’t know what he would be able to do now he had to use a wheelchair.

“There’s a long process of learning what you can and can’t do, or finding new ways to be able to do things that used to come naturally,” Ian said.

“When I came back from hospital, I found it really hard to find out what was available. I felt really isolated. I didn’t know where I could shop, where I could get assistance.”

Now working as Cairns Regional Council’s Access and Equity Project Officer, Ian has embraced his voluntary role as a Peer Mentor.

He gets in touch with newly-injured people when they return home to the region and offers advice and counsel.

“People are keen to hear what they can do. They can get involved in a range of activities such as sporting wheelies, water skiing and hand cycling,” Ian said.

“They can even bungy jump if they like.”

Spinal Injuries Association CEO Mark Henley said the organisation’s Peer Mentors provided information, reassurance, shared experiences and guidance on issues that arose when returning to the community.

“Peer Mentors offer firsthand knowledge about spinal cord injuries and the impact that such an injury can have,” Mark said.

“Based on their personal experience, Peer Mentors can provide information that is not readily found in the materials available from traditional sources.”

Issued 20 October.