Omar – living for every second, every day

“Just give people with a disability a chance to prove what they can do. We only get one show. So live your life now, while the lights are still on.”

This film is part of our Shared Stories film series.

The films celebrate personal choices in living a good life. Featuring people with disability from all walks of life from right across NSW, each film was a truly collaborative effort between film maker and storyteller.

We hope you enjoy watching these films as much as we do.

View all shared stories on our Youtube channel.

Transcript

Omar: The most important thing in life is to live for every second, for every day.

My name is Omar, and I’m from South Africa originally. I’m living in Australia now, 15 years now. Amazing, great place, when you’re having fun, you know.

I came to Australia in a wheelchair. It all comes down to your mental capacity and your determination. Saying my experience about my accident is very important to me. You know how they say everything happens for a reason. I really think this is my reason, my purpose.

[speaking to class]: My name is Omar, and I have an acquired brain injury. I was run over by an unlicensed drunk driver when I was 22.

If I can relate and change 1 person in a group of maybe 50 kids, then I’ve achieved my goal, you know. I speak to most of the people’s kids every year. Even the parents come up to me and say, ‘Is your name Omar? You spoke to my child’. And then they thank me because I don’t go there to preach like teachers do this, do that. I just go there and tell them to think. That’s all I want them to do just make them think.

I got involved in acting 7 years ago. Our drama group comprises all different people from different walks of life. All of us have an ABI, an acquired brain injury and that’s what makes us so unique. Acting, drama, gives me motivation. Gives me power so to say of letting the audience see what I want them to see. Not the obvious, not my obvious arm and leg.

My speech really went downhill after I did not do drama for about six months, my speech went back to one word. Not only does it improve my memory, my memory in the script and the lines, it improved my pronunciation also.

Now I live for every second. That’s what my accident taught me, how to live for every second, for every day. Just give people with disability a chance to also prove to you what they can do. We only get one show, so live your life now while the lights are still on.