"Hi! I'm Stuart...In late February 2000, I was on my way home after a night out when I was hit by a bread truck near my home in Bowral. I was 27 years old..."

I was rushed to hospital in a critical condition and was not given much chance of survival. When I arrived at hospital I was operated on several times and spent over a month in ICU in a drug-induced coma. After several major operations I developed a brain aneurism.

Initially the operation to remove the aneurism went well. But shortly afterwards I suffered a stroke that now affects movement to the left side of my body.

For several months after the accident I was in a pretty bad way and was in and out of several different hospitals. I had a shunt in my head to remove fluid on my brain and was fed through a tube.

When I was well enough I was moved from the Brain Injury Unit to a nursing home where I have lived ever since. I was moved to an aged care facility because there was nowhere else for me to go to get the level of care I needed. My family also didn’t have the money, facilities or expertise to care for me.

I'm lucky… the nursing home has been very good to me and the staff do their best.

My biggest problem is that there's not much for young people to do in here and I often get very bored and depressed.

I like watching TV, DVD’s and listening to alternative and heavy metal music up nice and loud. The only problem is that kind of stuff doesn't go down too well in a nursing home with lots of old people.

I like getting away from the nursing home as much as possible.

However most of the activities organised by the nursing home are for the older residents and not very interesting for me.

A while ago I got my own motorised wheelchair, which has really helped me in getting around the nursing home. I like to go outside and park in a nice sunny spot and listen to my music with my headphones on.

One of the other things I love doing is taking my seven-year-old niece, Caitlin, for a spin on my lap when she comes to visit.

After several years in the Nursing Home I was taught to swallow again. This was to assist me in eating more solid type foods.

The funny thing was however as soon as I learnt to swallow I could talk again. It really shocked the nursing staff when I asked them how they were doing especially since I hadn’t said a single word for over 2 years.

I want to live with other young people that are around my age and that share my interests.

Ideally, I'd like to share a house with some other young people, a house kitted out so we could cope with some outside help.

I'd also like a bus to take me where I want, when I want.

Before the accident, I worked driving graders and loaders for a construction company. I liked playing footie, drinking VB beer, driving fast cars and going to the pub with my mates. Now all that is in the very distant past.

But unless the support services and accommodation I need are developed, I'll be stuck in an aged care facility for the rest of my life and that's just not on!

Stuart Lindsay [Camden NSW] Age 33