S.M. I. L. E gala brings South Burnett businesses together to raise awareness about mental health

A Tarong manager has shared a powerful story of overcoming adversity at Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce’s first annual S.M.I.L.E gala, which brings business leaders together to raise awareness about mental health. See all the photos:

When he was struck down by a car at five years old, Owen Bevan’s physical wounds eventually healed but his mind has a tougher time letting go of trauma.

Taking to the stage as guest speaker at the 2021 SMILE gala last Friday, Mr Bevan - who is responsible for health and safety at the Tarong power stations - said this was the first of many physical and emotional hurdles he would face in years to come.

“My brother and I were walking along the footpath barefoot and all of a sudden I got a foot full of prickles,” he said.

“I looked around and saw a concrete driveway, so I went over and started removing prickles from my feet. I didn't see it coming.”

A car drove onto the driveway and over the little boy, leaving his broken body trapped under the car’s mud flaps.

“The physical injuries were eventually repaired, but my ability to speak and the stutter, they were lingering symptoms,” he said.

The gala was hosted by the Kingaroy Chamber of Commerce last Friday night as part of their new S.M.I.L.E initiate – Supporting Mental Health through Information, Leadership, Education - and brought business owners together from across the South Burnett on Friday to network and raise awareness about mental wellbeing.

In partnership with Bunyarra Counselling & Mediation, the initiative assists business owners to identify when someone is struggling through education and links them up with mental health services.

Mr Bevan said the initiative has already helped workers at Tarong to open up and access support.

Tragedy stuck again when he was 12-year-old when he and his English teacher were involved in a fatal car accident while travelling home from a debating competition.

“I was being told to stay in the car by somebody I could trust. I was told to stay there by my English teacher. I was told to stay there for my own good,” he said.

Mr Bevan had seen more trauma before he reached his teenage years than most would experience in their whole lifetime, but it was when his father was involved in a horrific workplace accident that his perspective changed.

“One day, just like any other day, my father went to work. Unfortunately, on that day, the father I knew was never going to return home,” he said.

Mr Bevan’s father was crushed under a roller that jumped into gear.

He broke his spine in two places, broke every rib on the right hand side of his body, punctured his lung and spleen, and broke his shoulder.

His miraculous ability to hold himself up that day saved his life.

Mr Bevan said his father’s recovery was long and excruciating, but he pushed through to learn to walk again.

“He had one saying he shared with us, which was almost Buddhist, which is ‘life is pain and suffering, to thrive you must find the meaning behind that pain and the meaning behind that suffering’,” he said.

Mr Bevan’s powerful message of resilience during dark times is critical for the Burnett to take on board, with the region recording more suicides per capita than any other in Queensland between 2015 and 2019.

Learn more about the S.M.I.L.E initiative HERE.

IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOWS NEEDS HELP, PHONE LIFELINE ON 13 11 14.

Photo gallery: Glitz and glamour at KCCI S.M.I.L.E gala

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