![\"Dean](\"https:\/\/www.spinalcure.org.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/DEAN2-copy-2-cropped-1-300x256.jpeg\")
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Dean has learned to live without the use of his legs, but he\u2019ll never stop dreaming of returning to his old hobbies.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n At age 20, he was on the trip of a lifetime living and snowboarding in the French Alps – until the day he broke his back. The accident left him with a traumatic brain injury and a spinal injury resulting in paraplegia. His life changed forever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While there have been some really tough times, Dean hasn\u2019t let his injury hold him back. After leaving hospital, he completed a Master of Business Administration whilst going through rehab, working full time and completing a Diploma of Financial Planning.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n After graduating with his MBA, he began a career in the financial services industry while co-founding a microdistillery called Headlands Distilling Co. in Wollongong with his childhood friends. The distillery has since won international awards for its products and donates 20% of all profits to SpinalCure.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy injury affects me more than I\u2019d ever imagined,\u201d says Dean<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cBefore my injury, I was incredibly active,\u201d says Dean. \u201cIf I wasn\u2019t surfing, or skating, or snowboarding, I was exploring abandoned buildings or caves in a national park. Most of my hobbies have become impossible, but the desire to do them is stronger than ever.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond the physical incapacity, Dean explains that there are several other less obvious issues behind the scenes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere are new health concerns that need to be managed: the general inconveniences like needing to find accessible bathrooms or parking spots, and then there is the mental pain,\u201d he says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt feels strange going from a person who loved pushing themselves to the limit to somebody that can\u2019t help but feel a sense of longing and an almost guilty envy when you see a child taking their first steps.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve come to accept the injury, but I\u2019ll never stop wishing for a cure.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m sure it comes as no surprise, but there\u2019s nothing I want more than a cure,\u201d says Dean.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI know that I am incredibly fortunate to still have my life and mental capacity given that I experienced a brain injury at the same time as my spinal injury, but since that day, the dream of a cure has been number one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhilst I\u2019ve accepted the position that I\u2019m in and don\u2019t sit there every day thinking about it, it\u2019s always at the back of my mind. I feel like I\u2019m living in a paradox because whilst I love doing something different and I\u2019m always looking for excitement, I want nothing more than to go back to a \u2018normal\u2019 life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI live with the hope that one day I\u2019ll get back to surfing, to snowboarding, and to climbing mountains again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI understand I can\u2019t go back and change it so the best I can do is make the most of things from here on,\u201d Dean explains.<\/span><\/p>\n Dean has seen the amazing progress in research and trials of new technology and treatments, including those right here in Australia. That\u2019s why he\u2019s become an ambassador for SpinalCure Australia.<\/b><\/p>\n \u201cMy biggest hope is for a tablet that fixes everything,\u201d jokes Dean.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRealistically, I am just excited for more progress to be made. Whilst I\u2019d love to get back to life as I knew it and forget the injury ever happened, it would be great for small steps to be made that eliminate some of the hassles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt would be great to not have to search for a wider parking spot, it would be great to not be limited by a few stairs, it would be great to not be the centre of attention when people get drunk and want to \u201cmake you feel better\u201d\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPut simply, I hope that more progress is made. I follow the research closely and whilst it is great to see that it is constantly evolving, it\u2019s clear to see that a lack of funding is the limiting factor.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThey say that if you put enough money into the research, even pigs will fly. It sounds great, but I\u2019m just hoping we forget about the pigs and get me back on my feet first.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Dean is also a SpinalCure Community Ambassador<\/a>, and one of the ‘stars’ of our June 2021 campaign, #HelpMeStand<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\n\nDean has learned to live without the use of his legs, but he\u2019ll never stop dreaming of returning to his old hobbies.\u00a0 At age 20, he was on the trip of a lifetime living and snowboarding in the French Alps…\n<\/div>\n