Students in Focus
Defying the odds: Ryan's remarkable journey from the ICU to university
In 2019, at just 13 years old, Ryan Fawke spent two months in hospital – three weeks in intensive care and five weeks in in-patient rehab, before finally transferring back home. In this time, he had to relearn how to walk. He missed a year of school during the recovery.
“I have a traumatic brain injury and as a result, I'm technically blind and I have some cognitive deficits,” Ryan says.
“I had to retrain myself on how to move my entire left side, because I was paralysed on that side. Coordination is something I’m still working on!”
One thing that stands out about Ryan’s journey are the people that supported him along the way.
There was the school community that raised money for his recovery by “Everesting” – riding the equivalent of the height of Mount Everest on Canberra’s local mountains.
There was Ryan’s family, who were there for him through every difficult moment.
And the team of healthcare professionals who guided him through the hardest years of his recovery. He still visits them periodically at the Sydney Children’s Hospital – now walking, talking, laughing and joking.
He hopes that one day, he will stand in their shoes, supporting others the way they did for him.
“I want to give back to the community and to the health system for looking after me through my treatments,” Ryan says.
His journey with University of Canberra began in college, where he studied through the èßäAV Accelerated Pathways Program (APP).
The Program allows ACT college students to study on campus and earn credit towards a èßäAV degree through H-courses. There, he completed an Anatomy and Physiology unit, where reasonable adjustments were embedded in his experience from day one.
“When I started the APP, all of the adjustments were in place. I didn’t have to organise anything myself. The support of the university was amazing,” Ryan says.
The H-Course provided the perfect taster for academic study in health and exercise, and a window into the supports available at èßäAV.
Thanks to the APP, he received an early offer to study at èßäAV, and from there, his determination to move into a health-related field was resolute.
“Your healthcare team is one of the most influential parts of your recovery,” Ryan says.
“In my experience, they would talk me through everything, so I was able to understand what was happening.
Along with their encouragement and assistance, just being able to talk to them really helped.
Now in his second semester of a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Canberra, Ryan hopes to further his study, and eventually work in physiotherapy or exercise physiology.
The team at InclusionèßäAV has been a guiding light during his time as a student so far. They bridge the gap between Ryan and his lecturers and tutors, advocating and communicating on his behalf to ensure he can access adjustments and study supports in line with his Reasonable Adjustment Plan (RAP).
“The entire team understands me and what I need. It means that I can focus on actually doing my study,” Ryan says.
I just go to InclusionèßäAV and they make it happen, it’s miraculous!
Ryan’s brain injury impacts his ability to read – it takes him roughly three times longer to read a page. Despite this challenge, he’s loving the degree and the university experience.
Week to week, he balances lectures, tutorials, readings and assignments with family time, exercise and medical appointments.
“I'm doing Intro to Research in Health Science which is really interesting. I love Exercise Programming and Prescription, because we spend a lot of time at the gym,” Ryan says.
“Human Growth and Development is really interesting, and I’m looking back at my own life and the development phases and how those align with skill acquisition and motor development.”
Ryan’s story is a powerful reminder that with the right support and strong will, anything is possible – having gone from being in the ICU and on a ventilator, to being able to walk, run, ride and even study at university. Ryan got back on the bike, took control of his life, and now looks forward to a bright future ahead.
“I've actually gone riding again since that injury. Same bike, same track. I wanted to go against the stereotype of not doing something again,” Ryan says.
“I love exercise! I'm now a gym junkie, and I love getting on the bike. I've got my own injury experience, and I want to use the knowledge that I've gained to help people.”
Story by Kelly White, photos by Tyler Cherry