We've been in touch with Azzy Cosgrove, who tells us in his upbeat tone, about his life-changing diagnosis with an acquired brain injury (ABI). He tells us how Flexyfoot changed his life and the impact they've had on his quality of life. 

In September 2018, I was 21 when my life changed dramatically. I was diagnosed with an Astrocytoma brain tumour. A couple of days later, I went in to have a relatively simple surgery that was going to remove the tumour and leave me with no lasting effects, but instead my brain bled (an extradural haemotoma) and injured my brain. I spent weeks on life support, followed by intensive in-patient rehab for several more months. My balance and coordination have been majorly affected, and I essentially lost the ability to walk. While I use a wheelchair for most of my mobility, I am able to use forearm crutches, which is handy in places that aren’t accessible for wheelchairs (like my parent’s house!).

I was sent home from rehab with a pair of hospital-issue forearm crutches. Soon, I started calling them my ‘Death Sticks’. They would slip on the slightest speck of liquid, or on invisible wafts of the ever-present dog hair that was always blowing through our house. I was aghast. How could my physiotherapists and doctors send me off with these deadly contraptions? Maybe I was costing taxpayers too much, and there was a conspiracy to off me?

I turned to the ultimate source of wisdom: Google. That’s how I found Flexyfoot! As soon as my NDIS (heart-eyes emoji) plan kicked in, I bought a pair of closed cuff forearm crutches with their shock-absorbing ferrules.

I never saw my life flash before my eyes when coming out of the bathroom again. The difference was amazing. They never slipped out from under me, the shock-absorption made it easier on my forearms, and gone was that awful clunk-clunk-clunk that used to always announce my arrival. Not to mention, I was the coolest crip’ on the block. I was the constant recipient of awe-struck comments from my therapists and fellow patients.

Whoa, Az, are those crutches like high-tech or something?

Yes, yes they are.