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Achieving the 'impossible'

In 2006, Brent Schouten was in a car accident that left him partially paralysed down the left side of his body. This was a major setback for a twenty-two-year-old 'outdoors junkie' who really valued his independence. 'I was concerned about whether I could ever live on my own again,' Brent says. Rather than dwell on his loss of mobility, however, Brent decided that he would get his life back on track.

'I had a look around at what people who had similar injuries to me were doing, and thought, I'm going to do that too,' Brent says. He was determined to regain his independence. And, despite being told that this would be impossible, he has.

Brent, now aged twenty-seven, has just moved into a flat on his own. He has resumed his studies at Canterbury University, working towards his BSc in Biochemistry. Even though he's back behind the wheel, having recently obtained his driver licence again, he walks the two or so kilometres from his home to the university with the help of his walking stick. And in his spare time? Brent is back doing what he loves the most - 'heading off into the hills' to satisfy his passion for tramping and the outdoors.

But he didn't get this far on his own. 'It helped that I was supported by people who believed in me,' he says.

During his recovery, Brent spent some time living with his father, and the rest with his mother. Both helped out while he was learning to do things for himself. He also enjoyed the support of John, his Access Support Worker, who assisted him with 'all the little things like cooking and shopping'. But rather than doing everything for Brent, John only stepped in when he needed to. 'A lot of it was advice,' Brent says. 'John showed me better ways of doing things.' John was also very encouraging of Brent's achievements - something that Brent believes was important in helping him reach his goals.

In the future, Brent hopes to work as a biochemist for a major corporation. For now though, he's concentrating on his studies and enjoying his independence.