Life Beyond Limits: Thriving as a Ventilator-Dependent Quadriplegic During a Pandemic
What do you do when you are a quadriplegic who relies on a ventilator to live, and a respiratory illness becomes a global pandemic?
You don’t let it bother you.
“I just said to myself at the start of the pandemic, I’m not going to get COVID-19. And I never have.”
Gordy Gasparovic is a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic who lives in his own home in the community. A team of support workers and nurses from At Home Care provide 24/7 in home care to enable him to live independently.
“I got vaccinated as soon as I was able, and I did not leave my home for three months.”
Gordy does not have any family in Western Australia, and after he was discharged from the hospital in May 2019, his At Home Care team soon became his family.
“The team were incredible during COVID-19. They did all my shopping, walked my two dogs and most importantly, shared the world with me. I lived vicariously through them.”
Gordy’s At Home Care family includes care from four ventilator-competent support workers throughout the 24 hours of each day, plus regular visits from a nurse for his clinical needs.
He also works closely with At Home Care’s training team and TAFE to offer his home to students and support workers so they can get practical experience caring for a person with especially complex needs.
“I really enjoy having students in my home and as part of the team. There is a perception about providing care to people in a wheelchair with complex care needs, especially those who are on life support 24/7 like me. I love showing them the reality of my situation, that we get out into the community, and we have a lot of fun.”
Since being discharged from the hospital, Gordy has helped train over 50 students and disability support workers in ventilator-dependent care. He likes to show them both the practical parts of the role and how the stigma around disability is changing, and people are largely welcoming and respectful.
“I don’t think students realise their role as a Support Worker has two parts. Half their role is to provide me with the personal support I need, and the other half is friendship.”
“Both are equally important to me being able to live.”
