On the 31st of August 1999 Hope was holidaying at Perisher with her boyfriend Cameron and she was 2 days into her holiday when they were going up the mountain on a TBas lift Hope stepped off and just collapsed she had no warning and it took 20 minutes to revive her.

She was in a coma for 1 month in Canberra hospital before being transferred back to Sutherland hospital. In the time she was in Canberra we were told mostly all negative things and they did not do a lot of physio or anything on Hope even though she was thrashing around continually whilst in the coma and her arms and legs started to turn inwards.

As soon as we came back to Sutherland hospital seemed to wake in the first week of being home she could not speak because she had a trachea in her throat because she was not getting enough oxygen she could not walk but through the nurses in the hospital started to sit Hope up then they stood her up and she just started to walk she could not do this by herself but with assistance she started to move her legs. They started on physio and occupational therapy and speech pathology on her as soon as the trachea came out and the feeders and the catheter.

Hope was in hospital for approx 3 months 2 weeks and she is now home she has no short term memory her left arm is paralysed her right arm has movement but is bent and she can walk by herself but her speech is hard to understand sometimes.

We had no warning at all this would happen to Hope although she had fainted only twice in her 20 years.

This is without a doubt the most horryfing thing that has happened to us but I am sure with a lot of love and hard work I hope to get her to be independent.

Heather has been told she has Long QT but not to the extent Hope has we are waiting a defibrilator operation hopefully in February and she has had botox treatment on her left arm she will start some rehab at Liverpool Brain Injury Unit next week and I have my fingers crossed that this will help her.

Regards.

Vicki.