With international women’s day coming up again this weekend, I thought it was time to give another shout out to all the strong women I have had in my life. I did do a post last year on some incredible and inspirational women I know, and my intent was always to add to this over the coming years, and do more (badly amateurish) paintings of them.
I’ve told the story of my current business partner and co-founder, but more than two decades ago, I started another business with L, which was quite successful (We were state finalists in the Telstra business awards, which is one of the most prestigious business awards in Australia).
Now, L is also a keen horse rider, and kept several horses on her property. A couple of years into our partnership, she was out riding alone and came across a fenceline she needed to cross. She dismounted and held the fence wire down and tried to lead her horse over it, but unfortunately the horse tripped and fell on top of her, crushing her pelvis. She was stuck in the wild for hours in intense pain and unable to move until she was found much later and taken to hospital.
Her injuries meant that she had to stay in prone position for months, unable to walk, but still she insisted I bring her work to do while she was recuperating at home. I would often visit while she was staying with her parents in town and she would always brush off questions about how she was and dive into anything she could do to keep the business running and keep the customers happy.
We parted ways in the business a few years later, and while the initial separation from the business was acrimonious and emotional, over the years we have forgiven each other and are back to being friends again. It was after we re-established contact that L informed me that she had been diagnosed with Pompe disease, quite rare condition that causes muscles in your body to break down. Now, L was a super fit young woman, so to hear that she couldn’t walk up stairs etc. these days was unbelievable.
She underwent years of treatment, which included regular trips interstate for blood transfusions and stem cell procedures. I believe she now has the disease managed fairly well, and she currently travels the world advocating for several groups who support people afflicted with Pompe’s as well as lobbying governments to speed up research and approval of medication necessary to treat the disease.
I wish L all the best, and am grateful for the time we worked together.