Every year, more than 300 children suffer a stroke within Australia. Of these, half of these children will live with long-term neurological impairments.
32-year-old Tommy Quick is just one of these statistics after experiencing a life-changing stroke at the age of 12. Now, he’s demanding more funding and awareness for childhood stroke victims.
In 2006, Tommy woke up to a headache in the middle of the night. Despite taking some aspirin, the pain didn’t abate. Five minutes later, he had lost consciousness. It would be another five weeks until he woke again after being put in an induced coma to alleviate swelling on his brain that had occurred from a brain bleed.
He was in the hospital for five months.
During this time, Tommy had to learn how to operate all over again. This included how to lift his head off of his chest, how to eat, talk and walk.
To this day, he says he still has a problem with his right arm and an odd gait that has led to mobility issues. His words, he says, he still sometimes slurs.
Despite this, he persisted and pushed himself through schooling and across the Kokoda Trail.
His latest challenge is to bring attention of his condition, and of several other children who are undergoing similar challenges, to Australia’s politicians.
But Tommy isn’t one to simply march upon Parliament steps to catch attention. Rather, he has decided to embark on a gruelling 10,000-kilometre ride around Australia.
His journey began in 2021, which is when he decided to go on the four-points journey, travelling to the very edges of the country.
The start of Tommy’s journey was riddled with challenges, such as difficulties with various COVID related incidents and closures, and injuries sustained during a severe car crash in South Australia, which resulted in a lengthy hospital stay.
While he has managed to get back on the bike (even going as far as Tasmania), Tommy has yet to complete the loop.
At least, this was the case before he embarked on the final leg: Howlong to Canberra.
Covering 450 kilometres over eight days, this readership may have recognised Tommy peddling with his crew on the side of the road as he stopped in Cootamundra, Harden and Yass on his way to Canberra.
“We are [about to] knock on the doors of Parliament House to raise awareness about young stroke survivors and want funding for young stroke research because it’s heavily unfunded,” says Tommy.
“It’s not on the map, but it should be.”
Australia sees nearly two children suffer with a stroke every day, and Tommy’s hard earned $150,000 plus of fundraising will go towards the Stroke Foundation to help raise awareness of stroke and help support survivors and their families.
“The most important thing is getting the awareness out that stroke isn’t just an old person’s disease,” he says.
“It’s increasing… and you’ve got to think about their quality of life.
“It’s just as important for the government to realise this is a serious problem, and we need to resolve it.”
According to Tommy, 15 percent of stroke survivors have long term impacts that can affect productivity and quality of life, a statistic that is though to grow each year.
Tommy’s three-year journey (concluding on March 1 in Canberra) hasn’t been easy, travelling through some of our hottest days, as well as windiest, coldest and rainiest!
“There’s only eight days riding total [in this leg],” he says.
It’s all pretty much the same, but we were pretty damn glad that we finished the day on Tuesday, through a 37-degree day.”
Suffice to say, a much-needed rest was achieved that day.
Something, he says, that keeps him going, is the important conversations he brings with him to the different towns and communities across Australia.
It is through his travels that he learnt of Tasmania’s only neurosurgeon and has connected with other stroke survivors.
“Every conversation can be both positive and negative,” he says.
“It’s always good to have [it] and share experiences.”
Tommy started his challenge three years ago as a cause and funding mission for Stroke Foundation, and he says it’s the perfect way to create important conversations.
“Any stroke survivor might be a bit slow to process information or interpret and community,” he says.
“But they’re still just as capable, just as intelligent as they were before.”
When he arrives in Canberra, Tommy says he will be meeting with various politicians and will be conducting his own address with the Stroke Foundation.
“Hopefully it transpires into having more awareness and getting the research,” he says.
After this, he will travel to Sydney to support a friend’s event (another stroke survivor) before heading to New Zealand in March.
Although this trip won’t slow Tommy’s advocacy down, he does say his next adventure won’t be as large as the four-point trip.
“I’ve got ideas,” he says.
“I’ve definitely got more plans after this.”
To catch up on Tommy’s journey, or to learn more about the work the Stroke Foundation does, visit the4points.org, or visit Tommy’s Facebook page at 4points.
– Elizabeth Kovacs
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