Taking on quadriplegia, one step at a time
They said a ventilator-dependent quadriplegic couldn’t walk. Alicia Waterman proved them wrong.
At 26 years old, Alicia’s medical team thought her future would be confined to a medical facility. Today, 36-year-old Alicia is breaking barriers and living in her own home, with her family, therapists, nurses and support workers cheering her on.
Alicia was born with Cerebral Palsy and a rare spinal condition, which deteriorated rapidly in 2012. She was rushed to the hospital and underwent major surgery, leaving her unable to breathe without a ventilator and paralysed from the neck down, except for her fingers.
“The surgeon didn’t expect Alicia to make it through,” said Alicia’s dad, Stuart.
Alicia’s prognosis was devastating, but her parents, Stuart and Lorraine, stayed strong.
“We were told to consider turning off the support systems. We refused to allow that to happen,” said Alicia’s dad, Stuart.
After six months in the hospital, they discovered and applied for the Ventilator Dependent Quadriplegic Program, which funded the equipment, therapy and 24/7 care Alicia needed to get out of the hospital and back on her feet (literally).
“We couldn’t believe it. It was like winning the lottery,” said Stuart.
With this support, Alicia worked hard to rebuild her movement from her fingers to her arms, legs, shoulders and torso. She stepped up to her greatest physical challenge yet in 2019 and walked 1km in HBF’s Run for a Reason with the aid of a walker and her At Home Care support worker, Jackie Sokil.
The bond Jackie and Alicia have formed over almost seven years of support is a special one. It means Jackie can naturally anticipate and problem-solve challenges that arise as Alicia works towards her ambitious goals, and Alicia is confident she has the support to do her best.
“I love that we can mess around together, and we both know each other inside out,” said Alicia.
With 24/7 support from At Home Care’s nurses and support workers like Jackie, Alicia’s parents have been able to take a step back from being her primary carers for the first time in her life. Alicia now lives in her own home, which is beyond what anyone thought possible.
Alicia has also found a way to pursue her many passions, like arts and crafts, cooking, horses, and even travelling.
Jackie has supported Alicia’s travels all over Australia – from Broome to Sydney, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast – troubleshooting any safety and accessibility obstacles encountered with activities, transport and accommodation along the way.
“She’s hit some really astounding goals,” said Jackie.
“Every time she meets a challenge, we’re very proud of her. There’s a lot of people in the background that have worked very hard to get her where she is.”
Jackie finds it fulfilling to be able to support Alicia to achieve her goals as part of ‘Team Alicia’.
“It’s not just At Home Care – it’s [her] Mum and Dad, it’s her physios and OTs, it’s Alicia herself, and everybody else in the background.”
