Stories & Achievements: Ricki’s Story
Ricki’s story: Snakes alive
I used to be a hairdresser before my accident. Then on Melbourne Cup day 12 years ago my friends and I were waiting in the car at McDonalds. There were too many people in the car to begin with. The driver took off without letting me put on my seatbelt and I fell out and hit my head on the pavement. I don't remember anything about it. The next thing I remember was being at Rankin Park Rehab.
My medical treatment will never end. I'll always be someone's patient, put it that way. That's what a specialist told me once. But there have been a lot of improvements. My speech is better now and easier for people to understand. With no more saliva I'll always have a dry mouth so that makes it hard to speak clearly.
My accident was in 2008 and I'm still here baby! I'll always be moving forwards, not backwards. There's no point in looking backwards. You can't change what happened, so move forward. Get on with it, live with it. It's all you can do. I'm as happy as I can be, really.
I couldn't have done it without mum. She's been a good little chook. I always make out that I'm OK and I don't want people to feel sorry for me. But when you need your mummy you need your mummy. I glad I have my family and my sisters too.
I've always liked tattoos but I do think getting this many was a reaction to how I felt people were looking at me. By getting tats they can look at them instead. Next thing I was at the Cambridge Hotel and I thought 'Stuff it, I may as well do something with it!' and I won Miss Ink Newcastle. So I was proud of that.
I have a support worker come twice a week to help with meal prep and cooking, cleaning the house which I also help with, going for walks, having a coffee. I look forward to it, it gives me something to do. Headstart have been there through my whole process of brain injury, I couldn't have done it without them.
My advice for people is to stay strong and if you need to talk to someone about what you fear in your life make sure you do it. Stay strong, stay positive.
“I’m proud of myself and how far I’ve come. Buying a house and being independent has been really good. ”
I've got a jungle python and a pug dog. I love them both the same! I feed it rats (the snake, not the dog). One every fortnight. My sister breeds and sells snakes and lizards, her business is Hunter Valley Pythons. My snake is a jungle python and his name is Bronx. I just like the name. If I had a child that's what it's name would be! I've had Bronx for about three years and he'll get a lot bigger than this.
They smell your scent with their tongue. If you're scared of him he'll come and bite you. He's never bitten me 'cos I'm not scared of him! Actually he's never bitten anyone, although nobody else has put their hand in his cage but me.
Ricki’s mum Leanne says “Ricki's strong. She's gone through so much, but she's a happy girl, and makes the most of it. But people don't see the pain that she goes through. What she's lost in her life. It has been life changing. Not just for Ricki but for my whole family. Yeah, the brain is an amazing thing. Ricki wasn't expected to live. But she did come out of it. Just not the same Ricki that I knew. I lost that daughter that I used to have. Ricki the rebel. And now I've got this beautiful girl.”
“When Ricki was in her coma I used to sit with her all day every day. I said to her once “Ricki, if you come out of that coma you can get as many tattoos as you want.” ”
