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“They were so understanding and helped me with all the work I missed.”
For music student Ben Rogers, the saying “no pain, no gain” is no joke.
A car accident at age 11 left Ben with a chronic back condition and debilitating pain that led to several painful operations.
But his determination in pursuing his dream of a music career has made him the winner of the Box Hill Rotary Club Alan Broadhead Achievement Award.
Now age 19, Ben has travelled a long, pain-filled road to complete his Certificate III in Music Performance at Box Hill Institute and gain his job teaching guitar at the Eastern Suburbs School of Music.
“I’d love to be a performer but I would definitely love to work in business as well. The aim is to complete the Bachelor of Applied Music,” he said.
Ben said he was absent from classes last year from April to August due to unmanageable pain but found the Institute’s staff were very supportive.
“They were so understanding and helped me with all the work I missed,” he said.
Ben had to have two operations in the last year.
“They were the most excruciating pain I have ever had in my life, there was no anaesthetic or painkillers.
“They used blunt needles… and had to hammer them directly into the nerves in my shoulder and neck and one directly into my spine.
“Then they stick a hot conductor down into a needle and burn and scar the nerve to slow the pain messages down.”
The procedures have lessened the pain and Ben is persevering with his goal of being a musician, playing electric guitar in rock and heavy metal bands.
22 June 2007
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