In January 2016, Will Cookesley had an accident that resulted in an acquired brain injury. The accident brought his close-knit family even closer, and for the past 2 1/2 years they have worked tirelessly to ensure that Will is able to regain as much independence as possible. Will was initially told it was unlikely he would walk again.
Not only is Will walking again, but he was discharged from rehab to his own home – not to a nursing home or to the family home. Seeing Will living well in his own apartment shows the potential he still has for improvement.
However these huge achievements have not come easily. The Cookesley family – Mum, Jane, and sisters Luci and Mad – found navigating the maze of the NDIS a massive challenge.
Luci took on the role of coordinating all the NDIS requests for evidence and reports to support Will’s access requests.
“If we hadn’t had Luci I don’t know what we would have done,” Jane said. “All the stuff that she had to do – the phone calls, the paperwork.”
“It’s a scary thought to think of the people that don’t have the backup and the support that we were able to give Will.
That was a huge motivation for me to advocate for Will and get the right outcomes for him,” Luci said.
Luci recently talked about the family’s journey at our Annual Public Forum.
And the last word is from Will: “They are just too good to me. I’m very happy, very happy. Thanks girls.”
You can watch the family’s video here