Quadriplegic father breaking barriers with technology

NDIS ambassador has overcome multiple challenges and is now assisting others gain their independence.

CAMERON Toomey was only 25 when he was instantly paralysed after falling three storeys onto a concrete basement.

'There is no way I should have survived.' Noosa resident Cameron Toomey.

The Noosa resident was dead when he hit the ground, it was the only the quick action of his brother and a friend performing CPR that saved his life.

The freak accident crushed his vertebrae and left him a C6 quadriplegic, paralysed from the chest down.

Before the accident, Cameron had been a national level lacrosse star from his teens and was the leading goal scorer in the world championships.

"When I broke my neck, I was about to go to the States to play all the professional teams and college teams over there," he said.

Not surprisingly, Cameron's mental health suffered after the accident.

"There are two things that happen when you have an accident. You are either grateful you survived your accident, or you are pissed off that you had your accident," he said.

"I was very grateful that I survived, there is no way I should have survived."

"To not have brain damage and survive is a miracle," he said.

"I've had a family, I have quite normal life."

Cameron lives a very busy life with his wife and twin daughters.

Sadly, the girls aren't without their challenges as well.

'I don't have time to blink to be honest': Cameron Toomey with wife, Shelley and twin daughters Abbey and Lucy.

"Abbey got meningitis at six weeks old," Cameron said.

"That just rocked our world.

"She ended up with multiple disabilities, cerebral palsy, she's blind, non-verbal."

"She is completely dependent, in a wheelchair."

"My other daughter Lucy has a vision impairment," he said.

"I haven't been able to blink to be honest with you.

"My wife, being the only able bodied one in the family, it has really taken its toll on her emotionally."

Cameron working with the latest technology to assist his independence.

Through funding from the NDIS, it has enabled Cameron a newfound path and he is now engaged in motivational speaking and assisting others find their independence.

He supports other individuals living with disabilities across the Coast through assistive technology, coaching and mentoring.

He has recently taken on the role as Sunshine Coast ambassador for the NDIS Connect program.

"I look at technology as a way to remove barriers for people with a disability," he said.

"Whether it be touch screens, home automation, assisted devices on chairs."

For more information on Cameron's projects, go to his website.

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