Lived Experience Council

Mr Robert Campbell is the managing director of Australian Audit, a specialist audit firm based in Perth. With a background in social work, he has over 25 years leading social welfare and educational organisations in a variety of CEO positions in New South Wales and the Northern Territory. He has served on the boards of charities working in the areas of homelessness, mental health recovery, drug and alcohol addictions and disabilities. He advises on complex charity tax matters.

Mr Campbell is also on the Board of a multinational company where he is the senior independent director and chairs the audit and risk committee and the nominations committee.

Mr Campbell holds a Bachelor of Social Work with Honours and a Master of Social Work from the University of New South Wales School of Social Work. He completed the Graduate Course in Accounting at the University of Technology, Sydney. He is a social worker, chartered accountant, a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a registered company auditor, and a registered tax agent. He is a member of the professional advisors’ group for the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission.

At home, Mr Campbell has supported his wife in her recovery from two strokes and deeply appreciates the need for integrated health solutions for stroke survivors.

At 16 weeks pregnant aged 29 and married just 6 months, Elisha had three ischemic strokes over two days. She was initially misdiagnosed as atypical migraine, and was sent home.  The following day she had the third stroke in her brain stem.  This resulted in left sided paralysis and severe acute symptoms, and she was admitted. Treated as migraine for that day and the next, it took until four days after Elisha’s first presentation to be given an MRI and to be diagnosed with stroke. She was then put under the care of the stroke team and things started to improve immediately. 

What followed was rehabilitation focussed on preparing for first time motherhood. Elisha had to learn to walk, cook, and care for herself and to care for the tiny baby that had hung on through the journey too. 

Seven years after her stroke, Elisha was finally able to return to paid employment. She is a registered nurse, originally graduating in 2000. She now works as a Clinical Care Manager at a disability service organisation and is also completing research to inform and reduce the substantial gap that exists in healthcare access for people with a disability. Her advocacy skills are honed from years of nursing practice, and her experience as a stroke survivor makes her passionate about inclusivity and equity for all Australians regardless of demographics, disability or social status. 

Elisha has lived experience of stroke and of many of the challenges that a person may face following a stroke.  She also teaches disability support staff about stroke, first aid and the longer-term implications of working with someone who has survived a stroke.

Luckmika is an academic and scholar (former Assoc. Professor) with a multicultural background, who has held senior leadership positions in various academic and corporate institutions. He currently has his own strategy consulting firm and works for a number of clients including foreign governments, NFP and Corporate sector organisations globally. He is also an expert in corporate reporting and is a global authority on Integrated Reporting and Integrated Thinking.

He has experienced a stroke first hand. He is a passionate advocate of mindfulness living.  

Luckmika has a PhD in Governance and Reporting, and a number of other academic achievements. He is an ardent musician (classical piano) and also sings as a baritone in his spare time. He has been an advocate for stroke awareness.

Toni Arfaras was 46 yo when she had her first stroke in 2013. This stroke did not display any of the F.A.S.T (Face.Arms.Speech.Time) signs  and her stroke was diagnosed one week after the onset of vague symptoms. This was then followed by three TIAs over the next two years. Toni was a Primary School teacher at the time of her stroke as well as volunteering in a variety of roles.  While stroke did not impact Toni physically, it has had a huge impact on her life. Toni experiences sensory overload daily, she is unable to go out by herself, no longer able to drive and was assessed as being unable to work.

In 2016, Toni began volunteering with Stroke Foundation as a StrokeSafe Presenter. She was part of the Young Stroke Project’s Lived Experience Working Group and the YSP Steering Committee. She is a member of Living Stroke Guidelines Consumer Panel. Toni has written blogs for the YSP and EnableMe with one piece resulting in her being invited to co-author an editorial for the Australian Occupational Therapy Journal.

Toni was a consumer representative on Safer Care Victoria’s Stroke Clinical Coordinating Committee. She currently holds an appointment with SCVs Culture and Capability Program where she provides consumer representation for their Applied Clinical Governance for Boards training. In 2021 Toni began an appointment as part of the RESET Advisory Group (Resuming Employment after Stroke: Enhancement through Tele-coordination) and since 2020 has been part of the Future Health Today Consumer Advisory Group.

Amy was 32 when she had a stroke in 2013, as a result of an Arteriovenous Malformation, which caused a haemorrhage.

The stroke resulted in Amy being completely paralysed on the right side and she lost her speech. Following a long and committed rehabilitation journey in both the public and private health systems, Amy was able to regain her mobility and independence, however, still suffers from a right side deficit and mild aphasia.

With the help of the NSW Stroke Recovery Association, Amy founded the Port Macquarie Stroke Club in 2018 and continues as President of the club. Amy has been a StrokeSafe Speaker for the Stroke Foundation on the Mid North Coast of NSW since 2020 and regularly provides support to the local health district to meet with recent stroke survivors. 

 Amy has participated in numerous neurological and stroke research projects and trials around the country related to aphasia, fatigue, stress and rehabilitation. Amy also supports universities in the tutoring of their speech pathology students to educate and provide feedback from a client perspective on speech pathology services.

For her services to the Stroke cause and Aphasia awareness, Amy was recognised in NSW Parliament in 2019. Amy has a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing & Human Resource Management, has a Certificate 3 Allied Health Assistant and a Certified Practicing Accountant.

Letisha Living had a massive ischemic stroke at the age of 35 which impacted her left occipital lobe, brain stem (pons) and bilaterally right-side cerebellum.

The underlying causal factor for her stroke was due to PFO (hole in the heart). Numerous blood clots escaped via the PFO and lodged into multiple lobes in her brain.

Remarkably, Letisha spent 3 weeks in hospital and made an almost full physical recovery. She has hemianopia (neurological vision loss) and hemiparesis on her right hand.

Letisha feels strongly about raising awareness for the “hidden challenges” that come with life after stroke ie. Fatigue, confidence, parenting, independence, mental and emotional wellbeing.

Letisha actively represents the interests of stroke survivors, family members and their support network through her consumer and lived experience engagement roles within the Gold Coast Hospital & Health Service and Queensland Statewide projects where she sits on several committees.

She also partners with researchers to improve treatment and rehabilitation outcomes across Australia.

Letisha is the lead author of Finding Yourself After Stroke and Finding Yourself After A Loved Ones Stroke compilation series.

Letisha is the founder of the Gold Coast Stroke Support Group (working aged) where she hosts in-person and online connection groups.

She was a finalist in the 2023 Improving Life After Stroke Awards.

In 2022 Alison Reidy experienced vague symptoms one month prior to being awoken by a severe headache, later attributed to an ischemic stroke. Symptoms did not follow the F.A.S.T. warning signs and initially only included fatigue, vertigo and nausea. Alison took that day off work to request a medical clearance, and whilst in the waiting room she experienced sudden and severe audio-visual disturbance, partial loss of vision, and loss of balance. She was hospitalised for a fortnight and was permitted no visitors during hospital lockdown. Upon discharge she completed her own NDIS application to obtain ongoing rehabilitation support, and her GP arranged all post-event health check-ups. Whilst she has made great progress, she still experiences ongoing fatigue and sensory overstimulation, and occasional aphasia and mobility issues. Ongoing support and love from her husband and son have been vital to her recovery.

Alison holds a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and works at Charles Darwin University. After identifying a gap in her region, she has established a Darwin social group for stroke survivors and their support networks. Through rediscovering her enjoyment of exercise, Alison joined the Rural Athletics Club as a masters athlete, and occasionally volunteers at her local Parkrun. She has also participated in several clinical trials to assist with research developments.

As a result of her own experience, Alison is keen to help improve the availability and accessibility of ongoing relevant support options to stroke survivors and their support networks, regardless of their location.