EBONNY'S STORY
In October 2017, a week before her 29th birthday, Ebonny set out on her motorbike, pushing through a light-headed feeling, to visit a friend. She was looking forward to fitting a pillion seat so she could attach her swag and continue her dream of touring Australia.
She never made it there.
Ebonny doesn't remember the crash itself. What she knows has been pieced together by others. She likely lost consciousness for a second, riding through a curve, off a bridge and into a creek. She suffered devastating injuries including multiple spinal fractures, a severed spinal cord, organ damage and broken bones. Initially, her survival was uncertain.
Before the accident, Ebonny's life was adventurous and independent. She worked in administration and bookkeeping, spent her spare time travelling around Western Australia, and loved camping, photography and riding motorbikes.
The death of her younger sister in a car crash just a year earlier had already taught her difficult lessons about grief and resilience. Ebonny still recounts not feeling much pain in the initial shock of her accident and feeling happy that, in her mind, this meant her sister might not have experienced much pain either.
When Ebonny regained consciousness in ICU at Royal Perth Hospital, recovery had already begun. The hardest realisation wasn't that she had survived, but that life would never be the same.
"There was so much space to think and be stuck in how trapped I felt inside my broken body." Some people found the situation too confronting. Ebonny looked back on her counselling training and reminded herself it wasn’t personal; it was about how individuals handle grief differently. Some friends told her to “stop being lazy and get your butt into the car so we can adventure some more!” They were Ebonny’s favourites.
As she progressed through rehabilitation, Ebonny faced the challenge of rebuilding her independence from the ground up. Recovery wasn't marked by major milestones at first. It was learning to sit upright, manage nausea, regulate blood pressure and eventually transfer independently into a wheelchair.
"To deal with the immense physical changes, it takes a certain amount of emotional strength you never knew you had, as well as a pretty good dose of humour and problem solving." At the time, the things she missed most: dance, coffee, and sex, were almost too painful to think about.
As time progressed, the questions seemed endless: how would she work, maintain a home, get around, and continue living independently? Rather than trying to solve everything at once, she learned to focus on one step at a time.
One of the biggest sources of relief came when she learned she was covered through us via the Catastrophic Injury Support Scheme. The support provided funding for essential care, equipment, therapy and long-term support, allowing her to focus on recovery rather than financial uncertainty.
"It was so nice to have one less enormous burden."
Alongside formal support, friendships became a crucial part of her recovery. Fellow patients shared stories, frustrations and humour, creating bonds that continue today. "The bonds I made with people in hospital, going through the worst times of our lives at the same moment, are bonds that are just forged differently; they last a lifetime."
Recovery continued long after leaving hospital. Living with a spinal cord injury meant adjusting to ongoing challenges including nerve pain, fatigue, reduced sensation, mobility limitations, memory issues, poor circulation and a range of other complex health issues that became part of everyday life. Despite this, Ebonny steadily expanded what was possible.
Adaptive sports and recreation played a significant role in that journey. Water-based therapy, specialised equipment and adaptive mountain biking helped restore something she had deeply missed: freedom.
"It wasn't the same as before, but it didn't need to be."
Over time, she celebrated her own list of "firsts": sitting up independently, dressing herself, getting into the ocean, horse riding, skydiving, living alone and eventually returning to work. By her fourth year after injury, she had reached a level of independence she felt proud of.
Today, eight years on, Ebonny drives a car using modified controls, lives independently, continues travelling and camping, and pursues her love of photography through a drone. She shares her life with a supportive partner and her three-legged cat, Cookie.
"My partner is gorgeous, supportive, thoughtful, funny and kind. My friends are absolute bad-asses and still inspire me."
Her injury remains part of her life, but it no longer defines it. "I don't aim to return to who I was before the accident."
Instead, Ebonny has built a new life around what matters most: connection, independence and purpose. Through her experience, she has learned the value of kindness, curiosity and self-acceptance.
"I've always been a big believer in the power of kindness. Even when you think everything is pointless, there's still room for it and nothing can take that away from you."
Today, she continues to share her story because she knows its impact. "Pure visibility is massive and most of the time you might not ever know how you've affected someone."
Her message to others is simple:
Be kind. Stay curious. Don't hold too tightly to who you once were. Focus on what gives you freedom. And when life changes unexpectedly, remember that growth is still possible. Healing isn't always about returning to who you were before. Sometimes it's about discovering who you can become.
You can access each story here:
Page Last Updated 31 Aug 2026