My Name is Bevan Kearsley I am living with a Spinal Cord Injury as a result of a motorbike accident. The accident caused a traumatic injury and left me living as a paraplegic requiring a wheelchair to get around.
As you can imagine this had a devastating effect on my life with my three young children whose Dad was now in a Wheelchair.
Nine years after my accident we lost my dad to prostate cancer and then in 2012, we lost my sister to Motor Neurone Disease.
Having been a qualified builder and working as a Sales Consultant at the time of my accident, I took some time to recover and rehabilitate to the point where I was ready to move on. Even though I had a job to go back to it would not be long before my position was made redundant.
Being unemployed and finding it difficult to find employment in a wheelchair I completed a small business course and built a successful business in the building industry, growing to 12 employees with a $3 Million annual turnover. Bring on the Global Financial Crisis, the 2011 floods, and several large customers going out of business, unfortunately triggered mine.
At the age of 77 my mother jumped out of a perfectly good aeroplane (with a parachute of course) to raise funds for MND. Having seen my mother raise funds for a cause close to her heart, now that I have plenty of time on my hands I thought I would follow in a similar vein , and "pay it forward" by riding my Wheelchair Scooter around Australia to raise funds myself for charities close to my personal journey.
Spinal Life Australia, the Perry Cross Foundation are deserving charities that help people live positively with their disabilities and I would like to assist them do their work.
Along with raising funds for research, I am also undertaking the ride to raise awareness of inclusive tourism and the need for people with disabilities to be included.
Bevan Kearsley is living with a spinal cord injury as a result of a motor bike accident 27 years ago.
Bevan having benefitted from much research carried out into spinal cord injury, rehabilitation and after recovery, he is keen to "Pay it Forward" by riding my wheelchair scooter around Australia to raise funds for Charities that are close
Bevan Kearsley is living with a spinal cord injury as a result of a motor bike accident 27 years ago.
Bevan having benefitted from much research carried out into spinal cord injury, rehabilitation and after recovery, he is keen to "Pay it Forward" by riding my wheelchair scooter around Australia to raise funds for Charities that are close to my personal journey.
Bevan Created Miller Chase Foundation in 2019 to Help organisations like Spinal Life Australia, the Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation, to provide immediate support to others living with a disability while providing hope for the future - a future that will be more inclusive and accessible for all.
We focus on making the maximum positive effort for our community. Our members and volunteers provide the momentum that helps us affect change. Using data driven models, we provide solutions that make a long-lasting difference.
With showcasing these abilities, to patients with Spinal Cord Damage through the “Spinal Life Peer Support Prog
We focus on making the maximum positive effort for our community. Our members and volunteers provide the momentum that helps us affect change. Using data driven models, we provide solutions that make a long-lasting difference.
With showcasing these abilities, to patients with Spinal Cord Damage through the “Spinal Life Peer Support Program” what they can be capable of after such a life changing incident. This program also provides ongoing mentoring so they can achieve an accessible, equitable and empowered life.
As a charity we believe by doing this continuous year after year fund raising on this long term basis, it will allow the researchers looking for a cure to Spinal Cord Injury to achieve this goal in the very near future without having to worry about fundraising and in the meantime it allows such groups as their “Peer Support Programs” to continue with their valuable Mentoring, Support and Advocacy work for people with disabilities.
Let's introduce Neil (Tilly) Townsend one of our founding members, Tilly will was Bevan's support driver for his fund-raising trip around Queensland.
Tilly was born in Brisbane, grew up in Maryborough and has lived in Toowoomba from the age of 20 and has been married for 44 years with three children and 4 grandchildren,
Tilly has had a vari
Let's introduce Neil (Tilly) Townsend one of our founding members, Tilly will was Bevan's support driver for his fund-raising trip around Queensland.
Tilly was born in Brisbane, grew up in Maryborough and has lived in Toowoomba from the age of 20 and has been married for 44 years with three children and 4 grandchildren,
Tilly has had a varied working life starting as a Aircraft Mechanic to Publican to managing his own Wholesale/Retail business selling petroleum additive products successfully before selling it after 27 years.
Tilly says the two constants in his life have been Family and Sport, Playing, Coaching, and Administration earning him Life Memberships with two Sporting Clubs, which he claims had only happened with the never ending support of his wife Norma.
Tilly has known Bevan for 35 years crossing each others path through their work commitments, and as Tilly puts it a neighbour from heaven as Bevan was a qualified "Chippie" from the bush and as such, having a vast trade knowledge and a "shed full of tools to die for". Bevan was always available for advice and willing to give a helping hand when needed.
Unfortunately Tilly himself has known three friends who have suffered from Motor Nuerone Disease. With this in mind Tilly is proud to help Bevan achieve his goal to help raise funds for Spinal Cord Injury and Motor Nuerone Disease research for a cure.
At Spinal Life Australia, we aim to support people with spinal cord damage to live an accessible, equitable and empowered life, as a leader in specialist services and a pioneer in everything we do.
Our members are at the heart of our organisation, with an active community who connect through events, activities and campaigns, and help set our course for the future.
We are also dedicated to advocacy on a local, state and national level, working with and on behalf of our members to create change on issues that matter most.
The Perry Cross Spinal Research Foundation was born to challenge that life-long sentence and challenge the science and medical industries to find a cure for paralysis. In recent years, it has embarked on unveiling one of the world’s most promising hopes of a cures – and it’s being progressed in Australia.
A cure of this magnitude doesn’t lay in the hands of one person, it requires a united and multi-faceted model that collectively brings world-class leaders from an array of professions together – to get the ‘job done’. Founded by Perry Cross, the PCSRF aims to facilitate, collaborate and initiate the connections and research required to find a cure for paralysis.