MY STORY
In 1994 I was 11 years old. I lived in a suburb of Logan
City, Brisbane, with my mother and father. I was in year seven at a public
primary school. That year I caught an intestinal pathogen from ingesting faeces,
perhaps from one of my pets. The symptoms I experienced from it were severe
intestinal irritation and difficulty passing stools. These symptoms did not go
away but remained constant, by the end of year seven I had realised something
was wrong.
Before the end of the school year my parents moved to the
rural fringe of Logan City where it borders Beaudesert Shire. The house was on
the highway and had no close neighbours. I lost contact with the children from
the old suburb, save one.
In 1995 I was sent to year eight at a local public high
school. I changed schools for year nine and ten in 1996 and 1997. In 1998 I had
just turned 15, that year I chose to apply and enrol in a Certificate II in
Fine Art at The Bremer Institute of TAFE, Inala and Ipswich. In 1999 my parents
moved to Browns Plains, that year I chose to apply and enrol in a Certificate
III in Fine Art at South Bank Institute of TAFE, Morningside and South
Brisbane.
At the start of 2000 I had just turned 17, that year I chose
to apply and enrol in a Diploma of Fine Art at South Bank Institute of TAFE.
The course did not commence until Autumn. Before the course started I moved out
of home to a share house for young people at Red Hill, Brisbane. I did not
enter the course but lived in Brisbane until 2002.
In 2002 I was 19 years old. I became sick with anaemia and
had to be hospitalised. After I was discharged from hospital I was given
antibiotics to treat the intestinal pathogen I caught when I was 11 years old. I
had lived with a bowel disease for eight years. That year I was granted a
Disability Support Pension.
I suffered from wasting (not being able to get out of bed)
and chronic fatigue for five years after I cleared the infection. During this
convalescence I lived alone in a flat in Toowong, Brisbane.
In 2007 I was 24 years old. One day I became so sad that
nothing to make me happy. I called my mother and went to live with her in
Hobart, Tasmania. I lived with my parents for four years.
In 2011 I rented a small flat in Glenorchy, Tasmania. I
self-referred to a Job Service Agency for people with disabilities. Then I
chose to apply and enrol in Certificate II in Retail Operations, at Willson
Training. I got a casual job with Big W for the festive season.
From 2012 to 2014 I held a casual job with Officeworks
Hobart. I was employed with employer incentive funding.
From mid-year 2012 to mid-year 2013 I studied Certificate IV
Youth Services at TasTAFE, Warrane. I was successful in securing a fee-free
Commonwealth Supported Placement.
From mid-year 2013 through 2016 I studied Bachelor of Arts
part time at the University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay. During this time my father
became sick and passed away in late winter of 2015. At the start of 2016 I was
prescribed antidepressants. I withdrew from my course before the start of 2017.
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