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Type 1 diabetic, fitness fanatic, dancing queen, Canasta champion; only some of the tags used to describe Colleen Ashby.
Daughter, sister to five brothers, wife and mother of three sons further define Colleen. Add to that, she is a heart transplant recipient who is now visually impaired and you realise there is much more to learn.
Colleen grew up in the Perth Hills, enjoying a safe and ‘privileged’ childhood, particularly with her brothers always looking out for her. Surrounded by a bunch of boisterous, competitive boys, it’s no surprise Colleen developed a passion for sport and fitness, often competing against them. She credits her ‘can do’ attitude to life to the cradle of safety, love, support and devotion from her family and her inner voice telling her, ‘You can do it. Don’t give up. Do your best. Keep on trying.’ It instilled in her the confidence that she could do anything. The universe was preparing her for all the challenges she would encounter.
Even with a high level of physical fitness, problems with her heart plagued her and slowed her down. Twelve stents later, the thirteenth was unlucky; she needed open-heart surgery. It was soon obvious her heart was not going to last much longer and after much discussion, serious consideration and convincing the ‘grumpy old witchdoctor’, Colleen was placed on the transplant list. This was not the end of the story.
Colleen was given a new heart but due to severe blood loss during the surgery, lost 95% of her sight. ‘I’d have been really pissed off if I’d lost it all but 5%? I can cope, ’ she said. With a bucketful of hope, perseverance, gratitude and unwavering support of friends and family, Colleen has navigated her new normal, discovering what makes her tick and what her purpose in life is.
Funny, down-to-earth, harrowing and at times, utterly heartbreaking, ‘I Can See Clearly Now’ is the rollercoaster ride of a woman who continues to defy expectations.
