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  • Inclusive Futures Book Club Guest: Dr Sarah Brooker, author of My Lucky Stroke

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    Summary by Dr Maretta Mann

    I had the great pleasure of hosting Dr. Sarah Brooker, author of "My Lucky Stroke” at our recent Inclusive Futures Book Club online event on Tuesday 13 August 2024. Having just finished reading Sarah’s book before our event, I found her presentation to contain the same honesty, insight and humour that I enjoyed when reading her story. Here is my summary of our event.

    A graphic tile with 3 images: Image 1: Dr Sarah Brooker smiles for the camera, Sarah is a young woman with long black hair tied into a pony tail, she wears black reading glasses and wears a black blazer and red blouse; Image 2: Dr Sarah Brooker holds a copy of her book "My Lucky Stroke"; Image 3: Dr Maretta Mann, a middle aged woman, with shoulder length brown hair wearing a lime green blouse.Dr Sarah Brooker and Dr Maretta Mann.

    A life-saving accident

    Sarah shared her story about her life journey pre- and post-stroke. She began by telling us about her fascination as a young child with the brain and her ambition to become a neuroscientist. She was about to begin her Honours degree, when an accident changed the course of her life. While driving with her two sisters in the car, she had a stroke causing her to crash into a pole. That car accident, while giving her multiple serious injuries, probably also saved her life by preventing a sub arachnoid haemorrhage.

    Visible and invisible injuries

    Sarah explained that whilst she suffered broken bones and other serious injuries from the car accident, the biggest effects on her life, caused by trauma to her brain, were not apparent for days, months and years afterwards. The first of these changes was the discovery that her pituitary gland was missing, and later she learnt that she was deaf in one ear and had lost her sense of smell. These diagnoses took time because Sarah’s brain injury meant that she had no knowledge or recollection of what it meant to hear or to smell from before her accident.

    The ”new” Sarah

    Sarah’s rehabilitation journey involved learning again how to eat, walk, dress, cook and to socialise with others. In some ways she was like a child learning about “the new Sarah” and the world around her. However, some parts of her memory were functioning very well. Remarkably, Sarah could remember every fact that she had learnt about the human brain and she was still really passionate about neuroscience.

    Trying to fit in was the biggest challenge

    Once Sarah left the rehabilitation unit, she found it very difficult to fit into the outside world. Her occupational therapist recommended getting a therapy dog, and so Harvey the fluffy Maltese terrier entered her life. He helped her by providing her with another being to care for and in her interactions with other people. So, with Harvey in her life she went back to university and finished her Honours degree in neuropharmacology, and later a PhD. But the ”new Sarah” found that she didn’t fit into the scientific world. She found it difficult to make friends other than with other people with disability.

    A friend and a diagnosis

    Two important things happened gave Sarah purpose and a feeling of belonging. She met Alan, who became her friend and later her husband. Alan did not make excuses for her and helped her to navigate a social world. Also, she finally got a diagnosis for her brain injury – orbitofrontal syndrome. Sarah told us how powerful it was to have this diagnosis. It helped her to explain and to manage her own behaviour.

    The importance of disability disclosure

    Sarah tried several career paths but eventually found happiness as a teacher. She recounted a time when she was studying to become a teacher and someone from the university’s Disability Liaison Unit said to her class:

    “‘If you need our help, we are here and don't worry, we won't disclose anything.’ And I was so offended. In my mind, a failure to disclose perpetuates ignorance and ignorance only made it harder to survive.”

    In Sarah’s view, disclosure was important both for protecting her from harm in her job, as well as helping others to understand that “the silly little foibles that are Sarah” are due to the golf ball-sized hole in her brain.

    Sharing experiences of brain injury

    In the discussion following Sarah’s presentation, some attendees shared their own experiences of life after brain injury. As always with these events, I sensed a warmth and connection in the virtual room, where people felt safe to be open, and support each other.

    'My Lucky Stroke'

    My Lucky Stroke is sadly out of print. I was fortunate to find a second-hand copy, but otherwise you can purchase the e-book on Amazon, here: https://www.amazon.com.au/My-Lucky-Stroke-Sarah-Brooker-ebook/dp/B084ZTG7BH

    The book is available as an accessible 16pt large print paperback edition from Better Read Than Dead Bookstore in Newtown, purchase here: https://www.betterread.com.au/book/my-lucky-stroke-16pt-large-print-edition.do

    Watch the Author talk on YouTube (An accessible transcript in large print or other formats is available upon request): https://youtu.be/DTPWXlcW7Ao?si=Lg709dg8-zx_4vbm

    You can also listen to Sarah’s 2018 interview with Richard Fidler on ABC Conversations here: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/conversations-sarah-brooker-rpt/9926380

    More Information:

    inclusivefutures@griffith.edu.au


  • Disability Inclusion Author Talk Series: Dr Sarah Brooker

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    INCLUSIVE FUTURES BOOK CLUB

    A Conversation with Dr Sarah Brooker - Neuroscientist, teacher and author of My Lucky Stroke.

    Inclusive Futures: Reimagining Disability invites you to attend our Author Talk with esteemed guest Dr Sarah Brooker (author of My Lucky Stroke), hosted by Dr Maretta Mann.

    In 2002 Sarah Brooker was only 20 years old and on the brink of realising her dreams. She had graduated from Monash University and was about to become a neuroscientist. Then, a series of catastrophic events – a stroke, a car accident, a coma – and she was robbed of that life forever.

    I woke up in her place. I was a broken body, with little memory of who I had been, and little understanding of the world I was in. I have spent the past 22 years trying to put my life back together. In that time, I have had to learn to walk, talk, and eat again. That was easy.

    I have completed several University degrees, including returning to Neuroscience to complete my PhD. That was easy too. What has been difficult has been learning and re-learning my place in the world, and what it means to live with an acquired brain injury.

    I have been a rehabilitation counsellor, a radio DJ, a student support officer and have finally found my place as a teacher. I am Dr Sarah Brooker and I have come along today to share the story of my recovery with you.

    Find out more about Dr Sarah Brooker and her book “My Lucky Stroke” here.

    EVENT DETAILS

    Tuesday, 13 August 2024
    12 noon–1 pm AEST | 11.30 am–12.30 pm ACST
    This online event will be hosted on Microsoft Teams. A meeting link will be shared with you upon registration.

    RSVP

    Please register your attendance before Thursday, 9 August here or via the QR code.

    MORE INFORMATION
    inclusivefutures@griffith.edu.au

    THIS WILL BE AN ACCESSIBLE EVENT WITH LIVE CAPTIONS AND A TRANSCRIPT AVAILABLE POST EVENT.