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ParaQuad News • Issue 1 Autumn 2016
feature
ith a broken marriage, David
describes himself as being
‘destitute’ at the time he
contacted ParaQuad and
spoke with Candice Care-Unger, then a
ParaQuad social worker. Candice told
David he was eligible for a funding
package and he never looked back.
“ParaQuad are great. I appreciate what
they’ve done for me, I have ParaQuad
Personal Care Assistants (PCAs) and only
just the other day I thanked a carer. My
quality of life wouldn’t be what it is today
without the package and without my carers.”
David sustained a C5/6 complete spinal
cord injury as a result of a car accident at
the age of 23. After an eight month stay at
Royal North Shore Hospital in 1982, he was
transferred to Mt Wilga Hospital where he
stayed six months. He went on to own a
range of different businesses before selling
up and moving to north-west Sydney. It was
here that he befriended a neighbour who
took David under his wing, and taught him
about the stock market. David now makes a
living from dabbling in the stock market.
Sadly, David’s neighbour and good
friend passed away, but not a day goes by
without David giving thanks for his friend’s
guidance and friendship. It was while he was
staying at Mt Wilga Hospital that David was
inspired by another man with quadriplegia
to become physically fit and look after his
health.
It is now 33 years since David’s accident
and as a person ageing with a spinal cord
injury, David takes measures to live a healthy
and happy life. Today he trains daily, drinks
When he was at his lowest point, it was a ParaQuad
NSW social worker who David Cox credits with
putting him on the right path.
David’s Got a
W