00:00Mel Hartman was diagnosed with a brain injury after a sudden cardiac arrest in her home.
00:07In my head, everything was okay, but then to get the words out, I couldn't process it correctly.
00:12And that's when I went, something's a bit wrong.
00:15It significantly changed her life.
00:17My mum said I'd gone back 10 years. I didn't know that I had kids.
00:21And I thought I was still a rowdy teenager.
00:25She says it can be isolating when people can't see from the outside how much cognitive effort it takes for her to perform tasks, especially in public.
00:33I'll have trouble processing stuff at a checkout, and then I'm taking up, you know, I'm holding up someone's time.
00:40The checkout operators are getting frustrated, people behind me waiting are getting frustrated, which doesn't help me process it much better.
00:48Brain injury is often an invisible condition, which in turn can lead to misunderstandings in the community.
00:54For many people with brain injury, it's not obvious.
00:57They might be able to drive, they might be able to walk around, go to the shops.
01:01We don't see what it's taking out of them.
01:05According to Brain Injury Australia, the condition has many causes, including accidents or assaults, strokes and tumours, poisoning and degenerative diseases.
01:14That's why Eva Sifis describes brain injury as being unique, like a thumbprint.
01:18She's been living with a brain injury for 25 years and speaks publicly about her experiences because she wants people to know it isn't something to fear.
01:26It's just talking to one another, losing the fear of the difference and actually realising that in the end we're all human beings having this experience together,
01:37so why not find out how to make it easier for another person.
01:42An appeal to trade judgement for acceptance for people living with hidden disability.
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