All right,
you write down the accumulator.
So
my disability which is known as C one quadriplegia,
it means I'm only able to move my head
and don't have any function below my neck.
I can't feel or move anything
neck down.
I can only breathe via artificial ventilation.
When I was struck by a car at six years of age,
I was incredibly lucky to survive
because my spinal injury was so high.
I had stopped breathing
if it wasn't for a doctor just happening to be right there
and resuscitating me immediately.
I wouldn't be here today
because his injury is so severe.
Anthony requires someone to help him with. Even the most basic activity,
attendant carers and nursing staff work with him 24 hours a day.
However, more than anything, Anthony values his independence.
Well, it's my wheels. It's my mobility without my chair,
I'd be stranded. I'd be,
yeah, co couldn't live without it.
Well,
my big hope is to inspire other people with disabilities to reach
for their goals and don't let their attitude be a barrier.
I'm trained as a journalist and I'd like to use it to tell a story
in order to benefit other people.
I want to show them that even with severe disability
or adversity
that with the right support, you still can lead a full life.
I want to put my disability out in the open
and in the process, remove any negative
and hopeless perceptions society has of people with disability
and show that the only difference between them and I
is, I'm in a wheelchair and they're not.
I
Anthony is out shopping for new clothes.
He is busy preparing for his biggest challenge yet,
traveling overseas.
I'm always up for a challenge and showing to myself that with the right support,
there's no real limits other than having a positive attitude.
Thank
you.
Probably ever since
I was about 18 or 19
and I saw all my other friends,
you know, doing what all
people do around that age, they, they want to see the world.
And so ever since probably 18, 19,
I've had
the dream of going overseas
10 years later or 30 years later,
I'm finally able to go
our first quadriplegic ever to appear in the millionaire hot seat. Anthony Bard.
You just won 50
bye,
winning the money to pay for his overseas trip. Made a dream seem to come true.
But it soon became evident that there were
even bigger hurdles that Anthony had to cross.
A quadriplegic's dream to travel overseas is on
hold because he's been refused suitable insurance.
I've rung about 15 different companies
and they've all said the most they'll cover
it was up to $5000 worth of equipment
and my equipment's worth about 200,000.
Everything from getting insurance to finding support workers or
dealing with airlines proved to be a major challenge.
Even deciding on a suitable country with
sufficient medical and accessible infrastructure wasn't easy
for Anthony. It has been enormously frustrating,
but finally everything is in place for his big trip. Alright,
so this is uh
K planet Global in South Africa. They loaded
what? My
nails,
God. And I'm hoping to.
So the big five
that rhinoceros is a part of that.
So are you hoping to add some of these
to get himself ready for the big adventure?
Anthony has been following a strict exercise regime,
but I've been soaking the black
three times a week to try and get my body fitter.
So I've got a bit more endurance and I'm able to
go all the way and not get too tired on the trip.
Well, going right back to the beginning,
I was lucky that I was hit by a car
because then I was entitled to compensation.
They provide me with 24 hour care.
They pay for my wheelchairs and all my pharmaceuticals.
If I wasn't hit by a car, then
I wouldn't have such
a cashed up insurer behind me.
It's
surprising,
isn't it?
It is
the
until now the insurance company had refused to pay for
Anthony's care expenses while he was traveling in another country
that's been the biggest barrier to allow me to go overseas.
So I've had to fight with them with my lawyers to try and gain in sessions.
There was one sticking point
as much as I had fought for it.
They refused to fund registered nurses wouldn't pay their wages while I was abroad.
And that was a big dent in my budget.
But that's one of the things I settled for
to be able to travel
with an itinerary in place.
It is time to meet Anthony's support workers for the big trip.
I've got
three registered nurses coming
and two attendant carers.
The reason I've got so many staff, particularly nurses
is because I'll be on the other side of the world and it's a bit more fraught with risk.
I also need 24 hour care.
I've got Paula.
Yeah, she just started a month ago.
I've got Henry who's an attending carer.
There's Amy,
she's a registered nurse
and I've got Noel, I've had him for
the last 10 years
and the last person is Brendan, but he's also a registered nurse.
Well, I need them to be laid back so I'll get on with them and
I suppose being young, most of them are young.
So they were able
to keep up with my chug of blood days.
Here we are in the morning of the big day
and
four hours to go. They are very exciting.
So, the countdown's on for young and old.
I think that's everything we're all set, all, all packed.
Sorry, I'm ready to roll now. Ready to roll.
I'll tell you when I get back.
Alright,
let's do it. Let's do it.
You haven't been African before? Have you, Henry? Nah,
can't wait, Henry.
All right, let's
do
it.
Noone
can predict how Anthony's body will cope with long international travel
on medical advice. It was decided to break up his trip.
I'll be
traveling to Sydney
as a start and resting for one night there before a 13 hour flight to Johannesburg
and then another hour flight to Durban.
So I will be breaking it up a little bit
C
for South Africa. I'd say,
yeah, a bit of a bit of a holiday.
So
good.
Why not?
That's a huge relief.
Actually getting to this stage, I thought it would never happen,
mate. Have a good trip. Thanks. So my
plan,
the cabin crew is here to look after you. So follow their instructions at all times.
Now settle back and enjoy your Qantas
flight.
You haven't been to see that John, are
you
when you gotta go? You gotta go.
Yeah,
for
check in.
This is so exciting. We got
the Bachelor airport
about to board the
flight to Africa.
It's about to be living the dream. So yeah,
jumping out of that kid. It is amazing.
You think we're ready to roll now?
Been 10 years in the making been barrier after barrier
lots and lots of setbacks. So to actually get over all that,
it's just incredible. Incredible.
We have,
I've never played 13 hours.
So it's a real experiment for my buddy and
I'm really
hoping it will hold up
the
B
A
RT A
B
A
RT
lwww.
Do do
about
that.
Anyway.
All the
best.
Thank
you.
Ha.
So $30 down and here we are.
I'm
not,
it's better, it's better synchronization.
Wait for Brendon
now.
Ready?
Quick o
quick o
will it work?
Uh
We were bringing for
so we brought him back.
Oh my God.
I thought you
got
it.
Yeah.
Yes.
The
circus.
My
head
t the weather in Africa
like star
gonna
bring something.
But
to,
would you like
to party?
Take care of
it
going where, where you are
needs
to come out?
Yeah, that old Craig was bent.
We
might not be connected and
cancel.
Oh,
yeah.
The trial
is connected. It's connected to the
silver bar
connects into
a hydraulic arm. And um
if the silver arm is broken,
I won't be the rubbers for my chin
or maybe just manually pushing up.
I want to have control over what's happening
and not be at the mercy of other people.
It was an enormously heartbreaking
and scary moment.
So you have invested so much into this trip
only to have it stumble before even starting
and to be on the other side of the world
having no idea whether it could be fixed.
It was a pretty bad day
with
bucket.
Yeah,
strong.
We have an issue with the wheelchair. It got damaged in the flight. I
went there taking it
to a workshop in Durham where a wheelchair
specialist hopefully will be able to fix it.
It's a machine.
If you cut your finger off a human being, you can't get your finger back.
But if you break a rod you can replace that rod.
It's,
I'm
so
happy
that
you agree with me that
before he wakes up before he's ready. We have
to.
Yeah.
Does this come off?
Uh, it actually,
oh,
see you guys in.
Yeah.
This be
the back
hand
made
and there's good news in this bad
news. What's that?
Which would you like first?
Tell me the good news though. Good news is
we have fixed your chair.
That's
the bad news is it's gonna cost you 500 rand.
Yeah. Which is about $45.
I think it's worth it. That's good.
So your chair goes.
Yeah. Hopefully I can drive it now. You can drive it. Now
it all works
and then I can start the day and do whatever I want.
Well, that's a massive relief being able to drive this chair myself.
It's such a reprieve to move again.
I feel like I've got at least on life once more.
All set,
all set to go almost.
Yeah,
I
get
up
at
seven.
So you'll have about an hour before you leave if you want
more.
I hope you wanted a gin and ton.
Yeah. Why
not?
Why
not?
Refreshing that
G and T
can they? Very vision mirrors?
Oh,
I remember
going for walks,
you know, as a five year old,
I was a really active child
and I used to love competing with my friends.
My parents gave me the decision.
I think about a month after the accident,
they said to me, do you want to go to heaven? Don't blink once.
And if you wanna stay here with us, then blink twice.
Apparently I blinked and blinked and blinked
because I was really emphatic that I wanted to stay here,
put them up
a bit.
Turn
Pata
as the years have gone by.
I've,
I've accepted my situation and I think my brain has as
well and that's made me more comfortable with my disability.
It is a big thing to take. But that pales into insignificance.
You know, when I realize all the good things that have happened in life,
I've proven to myself that anything's possible.
Be
the lungs.
My kids.
How you doing?
I got it.
Oh, you're up, Adam.
Yeah,
I didn't say that last night.
Pardon?
You?
Well, I don't wanna rub it in but I,
that, well,
my first proper
sleep.
Oh,
really? That's
good
for
you.
Well deserved.
This is what dreams are made of Henry.
They
like the,
I
know
on
last in my lust for me.
Lose
and
asking me last,
put myself
out.
When,
when,
in
my
last,
when
we have,
when
we have
some
me,
I
in my
last
for
God
to me
from
South Africa,
what are they called? Dave? These are then yalla.
Now look at that
and what's that animal right there? And
that's the mall. That's the mall
Africa is swarming with wildlife.
Yeah, there's an Aus Australian, the Australian
country, but I don't think you see as much
the animals walking along the side of the road
club sitting high, high up in the,
in the van. So I can't see out of the windows.
All I can say when we're driving is
put, put a few meters ahead and get the car.
Uh
So they're gonna transfer me
on, on into a car seat.
I kind of know I'll be lower down. I'll be able to see out of the windows.
Yeah, I'm
working in a fire box.
So
re
123,
just try the window. See if you can sing it up
first.
You go for the big five. It's an elephant,
a rhino, a buffalo. Then you've got two cats, your lion and your leopard
then
to put together the, the magnificent seven,
you've got your cheetah and wild dog together.
So clear. Some creatures out there
cloud come and stalk you when you least expect it of you.
Oh, here we go.
Oh, look at that.
I can't see what you're looking at,
forgot to say.
Yeah.
Ah,
gouging my eyes at night.
Where is that? I'm trying to get it on their face,
but that's so much closer.
I
got the nokia. Too high drive.
Yeah. Yeah.
Car
more
zebras over there.
There's a baby zebra.
Ok.
Do
give it some bread
in your bedroom?
Can you go and get it off
blot?
Yeah.
Perfect.
Thank you.
So close.
They,
you, and they grab you on your leg
and they nearly bought a chunk out of you.
Yeah, this should be 10 times worse.
Genes are really loose
together.
That left break, the left break. So it feels like,
ok,
it's probably something quite simple. It's just come
away. Come on. Done.
What, what's come away? I don't know, but we need to get under it to have a look.
The battery bars flashing, which means the chair,
I won't, won't move.
So, um,
I'm not going in here. I've got to rely on
chairs. What
can you say?
Bit of a bit of a pain,
right.
Hopefully it, it can be fixed
soon.
It's a machine.
It can be fixed.
I put my cock in a block and we'll fix
it because otherwise there's nowhere you can go anywhere on.
I love your surety mate. I love it.
Ok?
You can actually feel it. This one engaging,
but this one's not doing anything.
It's
just watch instrumentation on that side.
I don't see any wires pulled or any dents
damage. See where this one?
It
would be ideal to take the wheel off.
Bit of a tease. I'm already the guy and
che,
my idiot.
I'm just looking for something that's been forced out of position.
Bloody armor on
all.
So sit up right in the chair.
Apart from looking around, there's not much else we can do.
Um, from there on it becomes an electronic, uh, checkup.
Yeah,
I love this milk. It tastes like it's all full cream.
Yeah, I reckon it is.
I milk the buffalo straight over the buffalo
straight out.
I
think
I milk the zebra. I do like milk. Zebras
have milk,
strawberry,
black and white. Milk
could still break
it from you today.
The battery bar on the screens still flashing,
which means the chair still won't move but I can't drive it.
So uh
I'm gonna have to be pushed today.
I'll guide you, Henry.
Hang
on. You can beat my eyes, man.
That's it.
To the right. The a
of the rev.
Let's start straight ahead of EVO.
It's gonna be a cracker of a day. I'd say
we're going on a boat. Hopefully we don't slip and fall in.
I've always wanted to
go, go down a river with
all this wildlife. So
it's gonna be a dream day.
Oh,
no.
So the
suicide
is
literally a
and it's about that long too ant. It's not a little, you know, drop, it's like that.
Not a chance.
Yes, sir.
Surely this would be
you just basically end up here.
Tie down brakes, brakes on you
to go and see some crops and hippos.
Eh?
Yes, sir.
Do me a favor, guys. Can you grab a tree there
and hold us, hold the boat because we've lost our steering,
the boat steering stops. So
I
stopped working. So I went straight
on there.
He's got stranded here on the side of the river bank.
Ok. The captain's got, got Noel and
uh K
to hold on to some tree branches
so we can stay still while we're fixing it.
Say a
little bit of a problem,
Merida's drinking beer.
Harry Henry,
that's a lot of crime. Brendan. That's a lot of CRP.
So the man that's the get the crock tails out
barking up the wrong tree.
What happens if one of us breaks our pelvis out here,
we'll have to get a hippo replacement.
Oh,
right.
Right.
We take a bigger,
we need to have the wires,
check out this information.
I think this is the key. There is a key is this much.
It's not like that one.
And the problem with this machine was the brushes,
the brushes, what they're worn
and
you have to put a new one so that it can
conduct. That's the casing of the right hand motor which is reporting a fault.
As you can see, these are the brushes.
Yeah,
you see that one is
worn completely. This one protrudes a lot more
so that's not making contact on the armature.
It's just general wear and tear.
I probably should have replaced them before I came out to
south. I mean,
it
would have been a good idea.
It's going to work but we make it work.
We're going to make a wage.
That's my own suggestion. What I got
a
spacer,
I have to
try to push so that it can conduct. I really appreciate your help.
I'm really stuck without my wheelchair. I can't move
no more questions.
Yeah,
I feel like my disability has dictated what I can't do
and isn't backstage where it should be.
And after spending up to see a country
I've seen and heard so much about
that, I've hung out to sea for years
where there's a mean activities I want to get done.
It's a bit of a shit and very frustrating.
It's like this trip's been cursed by some kind of Zulu witchcraft.
I've got my life back when I've got the chair back
until then I'm, I'm stranded,
but hopefully they're not, they're not too far away,
contact
them
and
hanging
on that,
hanging around.
I've done everything I can to get ready and
to get into the chair. So I'm just hanging
God your life.
The chance ready?
Switch it on, switch
it
on, it's
on.
And,
uh, um,
are we over the, are we pass that problem? Well, yeah, the bar are not flashing.
Which, which is a good
sign.
You did? Well,
let's wait and see if she's working.
Right.
That
would have been. I know
that
it works.
I just nearly crushed it.
And they were like,
oh,
the day can finally start
the
great
that's popping away here
if I don't take my hat off. Beautiful.
Oh,
it's a bit scary having the place of not working
because, you know, we're 1000 miles away from the nearest hospital.
So I'm really isolated.
It's in and out like a yo yo. So
I quite admit I'm breathing next minute, I'm not.
No,
no. Can you move it again? Henry.
So
it's working again. So for the moment it's all ok.
Over here we have Rambo. Rambo is our bull. He is 32 years old and he weighs 4.5 times.
It's just mind boggling how massive they are.
Do you want?
I've never been that close to an elephant before and
to actually be right underneath it and to
smell its breath.
Hey, I'm feeding
you.
It was nice to feel that I was no different and the elephant didn't think
anything different either.
Oh
my God,
it's gonna trample
on
everything.
Yeah, I can say it's
the che che
that was bloody close to disaster.
I just
had it tusked right right into my face.
I, I thought I was gonna pierce me through the cheek.
What a privilege
kind of
get me.
I,
I
do
I said,
I,
I
said
ZZ
but
my,
what
is
almost,
but
that is
ok.
Uh huh.
Um,
ok,
within Australia. Yes.
Yeah. Look, come a long way.
You have, you have,
where do I go?
Did you say that name off?
I've never
been to a school with, for,
um,
I, I
paid with this
in another country before.
I've, I've never been outside of Australia.
It's the first time, first time outside of Australia.
I'm lucky because I'm insured.
So I
applied for, by my insurance company.
Yeah,
I'm very lucky.
I finished matric 2010, but I'm trying to,
to get AAA university that, uh,
sort to continue with my studies.
But
things are hard. But I'm still trying
this odd lady. She's the co-founder of the school.
Are you the
co-founder?
What's your name?
And
you're a very good person to,
to start something like,
very much
serious?
Yeah.
Ok.
I did journalism
and I'm also trained as a teacher as well.
Yeah, I'm a trained teacher.
So then
you
can.
That's great.
Thanks everyone for,
to, let me come.
My name's Anthony
and I'm from Australia.
Can you point to Australia now,
before my accident,
I
used to play football,
but when I had the car accident
I broke my spine.
Now I, um, can only move my head.
Ok. I, I drive my
wheelchair with my team.
Can I get everyone to feel the back of their neck?
Do you feel like a bony area.
That's where I broke my spine
and the spine is like a bridge.
Can,
can, if the bridge is broken
then, then you can't get to the other side.
And I'm not able to, um, feel anything below my neck.
I try to think that I'm still lucky
that I could be a lot worse,
could be brain injured and not be able to talk.
But
I've still got my brain and,
uh,
their life's good.
Ok.
I knew there would be people with disabilities in Africa.
But what really struck me was the basics of what they had
made me feel incredibly privileged to realize that
I do have access to compensation.
I've got an electric wheelchair
and I've got access to 24 hour care
and I've got my own car,
John.
It was really heartwarming to see big smiles on these kids' faces.
They didn't treat their disabilities as something that was hard to take.
They were easily pleased
and that was heartwarming to see.
I felt privileged to be able to pass on another way of life and
to show them that people with disabilities
elsewhere in the world are being looked after
that might have given them some hope their lives could be improved.
Absolutely. Mind blowing. What a marvelous experience.
I'm just so glad as a nature animal and people lover,
I made the trip and was able to see everything for myself.
A really great, great adventure.
It's made me realize
that overseas travel can be achieved. That's proven to me that
I am able to travel and hurdles can be overcome.
If you do have a positive attitude,
then that's half the battle of having a disability.
I hope for making a documentary.
I
straight about people with disabilities still can't give back a lot to society
and are worth having on your team.
K
just arrived back in Melbourne and um
yeah, big relieved to be back and
I reckon I could sleep for a week now.
Yeah.
And
I, I,
you're alive
and everybody else is alive
to
welcome home, darling.
But
here you had a fantastic trip. That was the best trip I've ever had. I reckon that's,
this is Triple M's hot breakfast. 25 minutes to nine.
And the more you get to know about Anthony Bartle,
you just see a young guy who has fought every step of his life.
And the Pratt Foundation through the Collingwood Foundation
would like to award you a scholarship for $45,000
to uh be able to go and do your documentary. A bar towel,
a big T ac to their knees by
ha
I
go where I want where I please Bartel.
I think an obstacle is gonna step on me from my base for name
Bartel. That's a bart.
You remember me? Well, a
Bartel,
I
wish them Hawkie flew in 2010, but
I've been the cans one. I think I'll go again by
tu You ain't
nothing. You felt my wheels upon your skin. Bar,
he
look live people. But my chorus is about to begin.
I
prisons
of
and
I know
I've never raced till I've told my story to all them little
kid,
Dean go,
I
botched hair out.
I create legislation with Wing Bar
hair.
I'd take journalism to the bring bar tail scuba diving. Pop.
You give me a challenge that I can rise to a bartel. That's a bar tail.
Oh, you remember me? Well,
Bart,
my company is highly so
I'm living proof of positive thought.
Barell. Yeah. Ok.
So I met Michael Jackson but he was wearing a little too much perfume for me. Bart.
Do us all a favor and bring in the next clebs.
He,
here I am at a prohibited place for over weighted people. There's no walking around.
I, but don't say anything about people in wheelchairs.
I've lost my head.
They
get that joy.
You've lost your head mate.