Tony Bonato was an average 19-year-old who loved camping, four-wheel-driving, fishing and hanging out with his mates.
Life was full of excitement until an unexpected and life-changing event threw everything into uncertainty.
On what seemed like a typical Wednesday, Teresa Armesto-De Winter was chatting with her teenage son Tony when he mentioned a severe headache.
The following morning, her world turned upside down with a heart dropping call - Tony was in an ambulance on his way to Sunshine Coast Hospital (SCUH).
“We rushed to the hospital, and when we arrived, they were doing a CT scan and the doctor said something neurological was going on, and we saw this large mass on the scan,” Teresa remembers.
“They weren’t sure if it was an aneurysm or a tumour but they knew it was serious and that he needed to be flown by helicopter to Brisbane as soon as possible.”
Tony and Teresa arrived at Brisbane Royal Hospital, where a specialist told them that the aneurysm had been clipped, but the situation was dire.
Teresa remembers the specialist expressing serious concerns about Tony’s chances of survival.
“She said he probably had a 2 percent chance of survival.”
It had been eight hours from the onset of Tony’s stroke to his treatment in Brisbane.
Tony spent 16 days in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), with several machines keeping him alive.
“Doctors told us he might not be the same person, or that he might not know us, when he wakes up.”
One evening, Tony’s stepdad Danny, slapped Tony on the leg and said, “Come on Tony, mate you’re throwing those punches, you’re doing well, you’ve got this, you’ve got this fight, you’ve won this fight”.
Then, Teresa vividly remembers that Tony lifted his head, opened his eyes and looked straight at Danny.
“We burst into tears – he’s there, he knows who we are,” Teresa recalls.
Tony was then moved to a high-care neurology ward, facing uncertainty about whether he would ever return home due to the severity of his stroke.
Thankfully, the 19-year-old was discharged in December 2019, after 6 months in hospital.
Teresa took two years off from work to care for her son – life for the family changed completely.
The positive and fighting spirit of the mother-son duo helped them face unimaginable challenges and five years on, recovery continues.
“We joke about how we were dealt a rough card, but we’ve always looked at the positive side.”
Tony lost all speech and cognitive abilities on his right side, he has lost peripheral vision in both eyes, and takes anti-seizure medicine daily.
Tony defied all odds and stood up for the first time two weeks out of ICU, and three months after leaving hospital, Tony walked with a stick.
He can now walk unaided and has since conquered Glass House Mountains and Mount Ngungun.
Tony and mum Teresa bravely share their story to highlight the importance of early intervention of stroke and time to critical care.
“Until you've been through this journey, it's hard to understand the importance of quick, effective care."
Wishlist is fundraising $600,000 towards a Biplane Unit for SCUH, which will be vital in the early treatment of strokes and brain aneurysms, saving the burden of disability for countless people in the future.
“Early intervention is crucial, and having the right equipment could make a huge difference in the severity of the outcome - the difference the Biplane Unit would make will be massive,” Teresa adds.
Tony moves forward in his recovery, taking it one step at a time surrounded by family and the dedicated health heroes who have supported him each step of the way.
To support Wishlist and help fund the Biplane Unit for the benefit of stroke patients, make a tax-deductible donation here or phone 5202 1777.
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