More than 700,000 Australians live with acquired brain injuries, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. But for many, it's an 'invisible' disability not readily obvious to others, which can leave them feeling misunderstood and isolated.
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00:00Mel Hartman was diagnosed with a brain injury after a sudden cardiac arrest in her home.
00:07In my head, everything was okay, but then to get the words out, I couldn't process it correctly.
00:12And that's when I went, something's a bit wrong.
00:15It significantly changed her life.
00:17My mum said I'd gone back 10 years. I didn't know that I had kids.
00:21And I thought I was still a rowdy teenager.
00:25She says it can be isolating when people can't see from the outside how much cognitive effort it takes for her to perform tasks, especially in public.
00:33I'll have trouble processing stuff at a checkout, and then I'm taking up, you know, I'm holding up someone's time.
00:40The checkout operators are getting frustrated, people behind me waiting are getting frustrated, which doesn't help me process it much better.
00:48Brain injury is often an invisible condition, which in turn can lead to misunderstandings in the community.
00:54For many people with brain injury, it's not obvious.
00:57They might be able to drive, they might be able to walk around, go to the shops.
01:01We don't see what it's taking out of them.
01:05According to Brain Injury Australia, the condition has many causes, including accidents or assaults, strokes and tumours, poisoning and degenerative diseases.
01:14That's why Eva Sifis describes brain injury as being unique, like a thumbprint.
01:18She's been living with a brain injury for 25 years and speaks publicly about her experiences because she wants people to know it isn't something to fear.
01:26It's just talking to one another, losing the fear of the difference and actually realising that in the end we're all human beings having this experience together,
01:37so why not find out how to make it easier for another person.
01:42An appeal to trade judgement for acceptance for people living with hidden disability.