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A story in the news this weekend has stayed with me. A 39-year-old Sunshine Coast concreter had three strokes within 24 hours earlier this year. He only went to hospital after the first one had already happened. By then, the window for clot-busting treatment had closed. He has recovered well, but he still lives with some speech difficulties. His message is simple: "If we knew, I could have been better than I was." I work with adults after brain injury, including stroke, and I

It's Book Week next week, and this year's theme is a lovely one: Symphony of Stories. As a speech pathologist I could give you the clinical case for reading in my sleep. But I'm also a mum of four (Patrick, Olivia, Henry and Edward, aged six through twelve) so I know the reality too. Reading every night sounds gorgeous on a poster. On a real Tuesday, after work, dinner, homework and the bath battle, it can feel like one more thing. I want to talk about both: why it matters so

Some weeks I look at what's on my plate, a clinical caseload, REACH growing in the background, and four kids under twelve who all need feeding, driving and loving, and I wonder how any of it stays upright. It stays upright because of systems. Not willpower, not a colour-coded life, not a skylight calendar (is anyone else getting targeted with these adds). Just a handful of habits stacked so they carry themselves. Habit stacking is the one I lean on most. The idea is simple: b

Next week is Brain Injury Awareness Week. This year's theme is "many pathways, one community," and it is a good reminder that no two brain injuries look the same. One of the least understood effects of a brain injury is something called a cognitive-communication disorder. It is common, it is treatable, and it is missed far too often. Most people have heard of aphasia, the language difficulty that can follow a stroke. A cognitive-communication disorder is different. Here, the

This week is National Stroke Week, and the Stroke Foundation is asking all of us to know the signs of stroke and act fast. The 2026 theme celebrates F.A.S.T. heroes: the everyday people who spotted a stroke and called triple zero straight away. As a speech pathologist who works with adults after brain injury, I want to talk about the letter that often gets overlooked. The S. It stands for speech, and it is one of the clearest early warnings a stroke gives. You have probably s

Paul Wade captained the Socceroos through the 1990s. Eighty four games for Australia. This week, at 64, he shared some hard news publicly: a diagnosis of probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. He said he chose to speak up because other players and families may be facing the same questions. That word "probable" matters, so let me explain it. CTE is a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts over many years. It can only be confirmed by examining th

A referral crossed my desk recently that stopped me in my tracks. It was for a client less than six months post stroke, living with severe apraxia of speech and aphasia. The discharge summary stated, in writing, that meaningful gains had already made, with the clear implication that the window for real recovery was closing. Less than six months. Severe apraxia and aphasia. Already the paperwork was quietly drawing a line under this person's progress. I wish I could say this w

As of the first of July, children under 16 can no longer legally ride e-scooters and e-bikes on Queensland roads and paths.