This Speech Pathology Week (25-31 August), QEII Hospital is shining a light on local veteran Darryl Lemmon, whose remarkable journey from stroke patient to Volunteer is inspiring everyone he meets.
Having served in the Australian Defence Force for 36 years and 12 more with the Qld Police Service, Darryl has dedicated his whole life in service of his community.
But his plans took an abrupt turn in July 2015, when Darryl suffered a stroke that would press pause on his voice, his career, and life as he knew it.
From spending six months between PA Hospital’s Hyper Acute Stroke Unit and Geriatric and Rehabilitation Unit, to going home for the first time, Darryl knew it would be a long road to recovery.
“I could not speak at all for the first three months. When my mate came to see me in hospital, I wanted him to move the curtains so I could see the view. He didn’t understand. A nurse finally came in about two hours later and she immediately knew what I wanted.
“It’s very isolating and frustrating when you can’t communicate simple things,” he explained.
Determined to reclaim his voice and his life, Darryl committed to rigorous rehab at the PAH Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit, as well as intensive physio, speech and occupational therapies between PAH, Eight Mile Plains and QEII Hospital Day Therapy Unit over the next two years.
“I was persistent, and I was determined to get back to work. That was my goal,” Darryl said.
By 2019, in an inspiring testament to his commitment to recovery, Darryl had relearned how to walk and talk, reconnected with his community, and renewed his driver’s licence while living independently with support from the Metro South Health Social Work team.
As he adjusted to his new normal, Darryl was moved to give back to the hospital where his health journey came full circle, and started volunteering at the QEII Allied Health Unit, now in its own building and known as Allied Health & Ambulatory Care.
Today, Darryl is paying it forward by supporting new stroke patients while using his lived experience to assist staff to develop more patient-centred care strategies at the unit, a cause close to his heart.
“I assist the uni students who come through, and I speak to Day Therapy patients about my journey. It’s important for students and our staff to know how to interact with people who are struggling to communicate,” he said.
QEII Director Speech Pathology, Kat Morley-Davies says Darryl’s journey and commitment to enhancing patient-centred care at the unit is inspiring positive change across the unit.
“We are so proud of the journey Darryl's taken, because we could see how much effort, work and commitment he's put into everything - not just his role at QEII, but his ongoing participation in his very busy life. Even when he couldn't continue to pursue work, he changed tact by volunteering. He didn't stop, and that's really admirable,” she said.
“Darryl is playing a really important role in connecting with people who are at the start of their journey. He also does a great job talking to nursing staff around different ways that people might need to communicate, like using communication boards and pain boards, because people can have difficulties communicating after stroke,” she explained.
Kat says the 2024 Speech Pathology Week theme, ‘Communicate your way’ shines a light on the important work being done in the Acute Stroke Unit and Allied Health to enhance more holistic care pathways for patients.
“People can communicate in so many ways, with each form of communication being valid. All forms of communication, from gesture, sign, devices, communication books or speech, allow people to participate as much as they can in their life, with their families, and with their own healthcare when they come to hospital as well,” Kat explained.
While his health journey continues, Darryl has much to be proud of as he continues his legacy of giving back.
“I still can’t speak fluently like I did before the stroke, so that still frustrates me, but it is much better and I can get my message across.
“It’s a long journey, but I will keep getting better until the day I die, and that’s what I believe in,” he said.
Many thanks to all our dedicated Allied Health staff at QEII, and a special thanks to Darryl for your unwavering commitment to your community.
Speech Pathology Week is being celebrated across Metro South Health from 25 - 31 August.