He liked playing the drums and was setting the foundations for a happy future with his partner Candice and their daughter Izabelle when tragedy struck.

In August last year he was driving a load of steel plate to Mackay, Queensland.

“It was a special, one off load but turned out to be a special trip for all the wrong reasons,” Heath said.

In a shocking crash in which his survival was in doubt, he suffered a C5 spinal cord injury.

As the result of the injury, Heath is currently in a wheelchair. He has controlled movement from his head to his shoulders. But Heath and Candice firmly believe, “nothing is final.” There is so much research and new approaches out there.

“One of the problems with traditional rehabilitation is that they want to prepare you to be as independent as possible for life in the chair,” Heath said.

The most vital goal driving the young couple is for Heath to walk again.

One treatment they are pinning their hopes on is a relatively new approach called HyperMed NeuroRecovery Beyond Therapy.

This treatment focuses on retraining the brain to relearn how to make the body function.

Heath has used the robotic gait assisted body weight support treadmill.

“The idea is that by repetitive movement, the messages from the brain to other parts of the body will be re-routed around the damaged area,” Candice said.

Heath and Candice want the people of Holbrook to know that this is what they will be spending the money on, that has been raised by the community.

It is a very expensive treatment and they aim to go every few months for one week’s therapy,

Since returning to Holbrook, patience has been the name of the game. They are still waiting to have their home modified to increase Heath’s wheelchair mobility in and out of their residence.

One concern is - Heath doesn’t have the equipment to exercise his muscles in Holbrook. His rehabilitation in Melbourne was like boot camp.

“If you have a spinal injury, the worst thing you can do is nothing,” Candice said.

They are counting on Work Cover to provide them with a Functional Electrical Stimulation bicycle. Electrodes on the leg are hooked up to the computer and Heath’s muscles will get a full workout. But the cost of $25,000 is prohibitive.

Heath and Candice have expressed a great appreciation to the people of Holbrook who have raised funds to help them.

Led by Leonie Hibberson, the latest project is Holbook’s version of ‘backyard blitz’ which aims to landscape Heath and Candice’s backyard. Donations are wanted for soil, labour, expertise, plants, and paving.

Heath grew up in Holbrook with his parents James and Sharyn, brother Rhys and sister Rowena. He was educated at Billabong High School. Anyone willing to assist can call Leonie on 0429 362 358.