Client Story: Driving with a spinal cord injury - Delvin’s story
“ I’m really grateful to have estara in my life. Without them, I wouldn’t be living the life I have now.”
Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself and your story?
Delvin: Hi, I’m Delvin. I’m Kurdish from Kurdan in Iraq. I was 14 years old when I got injured – shrapnel hit my spine and I became paralysed. I couldn’t feel from my waist down. I didn’t know anything about spinal cord injuries at the time. I spent some time in the hospital and then went home with no support, no education, no rehabilitation, and nothing to teach me how to care for my skin or how to manage day-to-day life. I didn’t even have a wheelchair. I got my first one about a year and a half later, when I was 15, after someone in the family passed away. It was a big, ill-fitting chair with no cushion, and I didn’t know anything about proper posture or pressure care until many years later, after I moved to Australia.
Q: What was it like when you first connected with support here?
Delvin: The first person I met was Nicola. She was working for Paraquad SA (now estara) back then. She helped me without even knowing me. She introduced me to Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre and got me a proper wheelchair for the first time. When she saw the wheelchair I had been using, her eyes popped out. She asked, “Are you sitting on this?” I said, “Yes.” She asked, “Where’s your cushion?” I said, “I don’t have one. What’s that?” She explained I couldn’t sit like that because I could get pressure sores. She got me a suitable wheelchair from Hampstead and was very careful with everything. I was really glad and grateful.
Q: How did your journey to getting a car start?
Delvin: My car journey started many years ago. I lost my license when I came to Australia because I couldn’t complete the tests immediately. I had to go through the licensing process all over again here. David [one of estara’s Senior Occupational Therapists] helped me a lot with wheelchair assessments, home modifications, and everything needed to get a vehicle that worked for me. I also received support from a social worker, who helped me apply for funding because saving for a car on my own was really hard. The van I wanted was expensive, and I couldn’t have done it without their help.
Q: Tell us about your car now.
Delvin: I got a Volkswagen Multivan 2023. I’m very happy with it. It’s modified, has an alarm, and everything I need in the back. I feel independent now. I can go out, do my shopping, and travel wherever I want, whenever I want. Relying on accessible taxis isn’t easy, and sometimes they aren’t available when you need them. Now I don’t have to wait for anyone. Having this car has been life-changing.
Q: How has estara helped you along the way?
Delvin: I’m really grateful to estara. They introduced me to my amazing support team and helped me get the car. David, the occupational therapist, did all the measurements and report writing. He made sure the car was exactly how I needed it, exactly how I wanted it. This was my goal for years, and they helped me achieve it. All the support workers from estara treat me like family. They really helped me live a life I couldn’t have without them.
