Inside word on spinal injury

By Kelly Yates
A WOMAN who was involved in a tragic accident which left her paralysed from the chest down shared her story with students at Hallam Senior College.
Selena Nightingale was thrown off her motorbike in 2006 during a day of riding with friends.
Despite the accident, Ms Nightingale is still motorbike crazy. She even had her destroyed motorbike jacket remade into a bag that she carries with her wherever she goes.
Ms Nightingale visited the school last week as part of the RACV SpinChat School Speakers Program.
The program involves young people with a spinal cord injury visiting 5000 secondary school students across Victoria this year to talk about the risk of injury and the possible effects of careless and high-risk activities such as dangerous driving.
Ms Nightingale spoke to the students about life before her injury, how it happened, and life afterwards.
She describes herself as a “real go-getter,” who skis, flies in helicopters and is willing to try just about anything.
Ms Nightingale also paints and draws and spends time at her parent’s art gallery in Lancefield.
The students also watched a DVD which featured interviews with young people with a spinal cord injury.
The program was organised by Independence Australia, a not-for-profit organisation that supports people with a disability or other physical needs to achieve their optimal quality of life.