36. Part 2 - Mum & Me: Teenage Angst, Brain Surgery, and Finding Our Way with Di Jones

Moving from a small country town to a massive Perth high school was life-changing for me, but not in a good way. I went from being “Sam” to “just the chick in the wheelchair,” and the isolation hit hard. I had no friends, no independence, and my mental health spiralled.

In this second conversation with Mum, we revisit those volatile teenage years, the suicidal thoughts, and the heartbreak of Deep Brain Stimulation surgery, something I believed would change my life for the better but instead left me worse off.

We also talk about the prejudice I faced outside of accessibility, tertiary institutions saying they “couldn’t accommodate someone like me,” providers misunderstanding my needs, and people speaking to Mum instead of me.

But through therapy, resilience, and a lot of difficult conversations, our relationship came out stronger. We found our way through the darkness and into something better.

If this episode has raised difficult feelings for you, please remember support is available. You can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 for 24/7 confidential support.

Thanks so much for listening to A Wheelie Good Chat! Your support means the world.

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