Belinda

Belindafeatured image

Belinda Adams’ life was irrevocably changed 12 years ago when her 19-year-old son, Dylan, was involved in a devastating car accident. The traumatic brain injury he sustained left him fighting for his life and thrust Belinda into the role of a full-time carer overnight.

The sudden shift from being a working mother to an around-the-clock carer was a monumental challenge, not only emotionally and physically but financially as well.

Being a carer for Dylan meant putting her career on hold at a time when she desperately needed financial stability. The demands of caring for her son during his long road to recovery, which included relearning basic functions like walking and talking, left her unable to pursue her professional ambitions. The impact on her ability to earn, save, and plan for the future was significant.

Belinda’s memoir, I Bought a Bus, reflects the grit and determination required to overcome these immense challenges. In a bid to raise awareness about the invisible disabilities associated with brain injuries and the prejudice brain injury survivors often face, she took the extraordinary step of buying an old Brisbane City Council bus. This rusting, worn vehicle became a traveling billboard as Belinda crisscrossed Australia, advocating for better understanding and support for individuals with brain injuries and their carers.

Despite the hardships, Belinda channelled her experience into something positive, co-founding three arts-based rehabilitation programs. These initiatives offered a creative outlet for brain injury survivors and highlighted Belinda’s growing role as an advocate.

But even as she achieved success in advocacy and the arts, Belinda continued to face the ongoing reality of her caregiving role.

More than a decade after the accident, Belinda remains her son’s primary carer. Dylan’s need for support has changed with time, but it has not disappeared. While she has managed to carve out a new career in the film and television industry, the lingering effects of her caregiving responsibilities continue to shape her professional and personal life.

Belinda’s story is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices carers make, often with little recognition or support. Her determination to advocate for other carers and those living with invisible disabilities shines through in her work, and saw her awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in January.

The book will be officially launched at the Avid Reader bookstore in Brisbane on November 16, 2024. Prior to this, she will present at The Hopkins Centre Symposium on October 23, 2024, an event fittingly titled Bold Ideas Better Solutions, where her advocacy and lived experience will undoubtedly resonate with all in attendance.

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