Ben Harper

When his head hit the sand, he broke his neck and C5 vertebrae with the accident resulting in his quadriplegia.

Ben lives in Wagga Wagga with his wife and five children ranging from ages 2-11 years old. The difficulty finding accessible accommodation and an available carer always made holidaying together as a family feel daunting. It wasn’t until he heard about Sargood on Collaroy through his NDIS coordinator, that he realised the family could holiday together with ease.

When Ben first visited Sargood in January 2017 his whole family came with him. With the support of Sargood’s trained staff, they enjoyed fishing, snorkelling, playing virtual reality games and visiting local markets together.

Ben was thankful for the opportunity to do these activities with his kids. They had such a great visit that returning to Sargood on Collaroy is now an annual tradition. The family aims to holiday there every January.

“I love being able to do activities with my kids at Sargood that I am not able to do on my own. The staff provided complete support by setting everything up for us. They are so motivated that it gives guests an amazing feeling knowing they can relax,” he said.

Ben has also gone to Sargood for driving assessment courses, which will allow him to return to driving for the first time since his accident. “I’m most excited about being able to pick my kids up from school; I’m really looking forward to it!”

He considers Sargood on Collaroy to be a second home and looks forward to each visit.