Embracing differences: Amy Aquilini’s journey through disability and motherhood
In the ever-evolving landscape of modern parenting, Amy Aquilini’s book journeying through disability and motherhood resonates deeply. Read her NQ Weekender feature story.
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In the ever-evolving landscape of modern parenting, few stories resonate as deeply as that of Amy Aquilini.
Recently recognised with the prestigious Gold AusMumpreneur Award for Rural and Remote Business Excellence in 2024, Amy’s journey exemplifies resilience, creativity, and an unwavering commitment to advocacy.
But, it’s not just the national recognition that captures attention, it’s her new children’s book, “Our Mum is Different,” which aims to challenge perceptions and foster understanding of disabilities within family dynamics.
Amy’s accolades are testaments to her tenacity, but she emphasises that her achievements stem from her personal struggles.
“Winning Gold for Rural and Remote at the 2024 Ausmumpreneur Awards was a game changer for me. It’s no longer Amy with a disability, but rather Aquo means business.”
For Amy, this shift in narrative signifies reclaiming her identity and purpose, particularly as a single mother navigating the complexities of life with a traumatic brain injury.
At the heart of Aquilini’s new book lies a heartfelt motivation - her two sons, Jack and Harry. “The three of us have been through the trenches while I had to navigate being a mother with only one fully functioning arm and a Traumatic Brain Injury and all the changes that came with being a single mother with a disability,” she told NQ Weekend. “Writing the book was a pretty magical process where I’d sit down with my boys and ask them questions about what it’s like living with a mum with a disability.
“The way they conveyed their opinions was such a magical process, sometimes they would go away and think about it, other times it was hard to get their little brains to stop.”
This collaborative approach ensures that “Our Mum is Different” resonates authentically with its young audience just like her first book ‘Strong’ - about her survival journey - resonated with its readers.
The book’s central message champions the idea that it’s perfectly acceptable to be different. Amy is keen to impart understanding and compassion regarding hidden disabilities.
“I want to teach the world that it’s OK to be different… and raise awareness of living with a disability.”
By focusing on the everyday challenges facing families like hers, she hopes not only to enlighten children but also to generate empathy and kindness in their hearts.
Her personal experiences have deeply influenced her approach to both writing and entrepreneurship.
Amy’s journey has not been linear.
It began long before the near fatal quadbike accident in 2013, with traumatic experiences marking her life.
“My journey didn’t start when I had my accident 11 years ago, but rather at 14 years old when I was sexually assaulted one weekend,” she reveals.
This adversity sparked a downward spiral that led her to find solace in substances as coping mechanisms, constituting a long battle with addiction. However, she credits Behavioural Therapy and Root Cause Therapy for her transformation.
“Once I made that conscious decision, it wasn’t a struggle; I just got on with creating the life I wanted for myself.”
This new-found clarity is not merely a personal victory—it shapes how she connects with her clients as a Root Cause Therapist.
Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship often posed unique challenges, especially against the backdrop of her disabilities.
Anxiety played a significant role in this dynamic, pushing her to take on more than she could handle initially.
“I had to get it done now,” she recalls, underscoring the pressure many mothers feel to succeed.
Yet, as she recovered, she also learned the importance of self-care and pacing herself, particularly in a business environment that can be unforgiving.
Through “Our Mum is Different,” Amy aspires to not only tell her family’s story but also to extend her mission of advocacy.
Her goal is to connect with schools and communities to promote inclusivity, emphasising that “it’s OK to be different.”
By targeting parents and children alike, she promotes an environment where differences are valued rather than stigmatised.
When asked about the most rewarding moments of her entrepreneurial journey, Amy reflects on her significant achievements.
“The most rewarding moments of my entrepreneurial journey I could go on about for days! I would say that the number one biggest achievement was freeing myself and overcoming all of my addictions and attachment issues which has made my entire life flow so much easier than I ever thought possible.”
She said her relationship with her children had created the strongest bond without being an overreactive parent.
“It is greater than anything money could ever buy. As parents, we don’t know what we should know until we know, but our relationship with our children most definitely shapes the structure and functions of their brains - they will either struggle or thrive by the way we behave as parents.”
Amy said winning three gold awards this year - Resilience & Adaptability at the Heart of Health and Disability Awards, Disability Leadership at the Women Changing the World Awards and Rural and Remote Business Excellence at the AusMumpreneur Awards - has given her the courage and strength to overcome a lot of obstacles that she once saw as road blocks in her business.
“I have now been able to narrow down my vision where the goalposts move from time to time, but the vision remains the same.
“I went from being overworked, overstressed and the likes ... to going with the flow and owning that the only thing we can ever really control is how we as human beings react to different situations.”
For more information, check Amy Aquilini’s website amyaquilini.com.au.
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