Ryan Walpole

Hi my name is Kirra and I am a friend and old colleague of Ryan Walpole. Ryan had a terrible accident at home on 27th August 2023. There was a fire and he was badly burnt. He was rushed from his home in Lake Macquarie NSW to the burns unit at Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney. His burns were so severe that they eventually had to amputate both of his legs.

Once he was stable he came back to the Rehabilitation unit next to John Hunter Hospital to begin the long recovery and to learn how to do daily activities without his legs. There is no option to get prosthetic legs as Ryan has had Cerebral Palsy all

his life and so the muscles he has left in the top of his legs are not suitable for prosthetic legs.

He spent many months in rehab recovering from remaining burns and learning how to move his body and get a new wheelchair. He only just arrived home this past week . But now he has no car to be able to go out and he cannot go in other people’s cars because be must remain in his power wheelchair to support his sore, burnt new body. Those who know Ryan know that he used to absolutely love to be out- whether that be at work at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance, at the footy seeing his beloved Canberra Raiders, at the local pub seeing a band, at local schools running the ‘Just Like You Program’ or with his arts& crafts group- he has always been out chatting with everyone and making mates everywhere he goes. He used to drive his red station wagon everywhere. Now that he is in a power wheelchair his car is not suitable and not able to be modified. Ryan has not been able to work and is now isolated at home. NDIS will modify a car to fit his new big heavy wheelchair BUT the car must be under 5 years old and meet certain requirements. The person must buy the new car themselves and NDIS will pay to modify it to add a ramp or lift etc. A van that is under 5 years old and meets the requirements is VERY expensive. Please please let’s all rally together and help Ryan purchase a car so he can again be at work, at the footy, at his mates, at the pub seeing a band and a part very valued member of the community again.

Please share this far and wide to find all the people who know and love Ryan.