Looking for a helping hand

Travelling at peak hour on public transport can be pain at the best of times, but imagine what it would be like with a broken foot.

That’s the challenge Docklands resident Brooke Parsons is facing on her daily commute to work.

The 35-year-old broke a bone in her right foot in February, an injury compounded by the fact she survived a stroke at just 13 years old.

Since surviving the stroke, Brooke says she has made remarkable progress, but recovering from injuries can take some time.

“In a normal case you would wear a ‘moon boot’ for about three weeks and get on with life,” Brooke said. “But because I’ve had a stroke 20 years ago that compounds the break.”

After five months in a “moon boot”, her 42nd surgery in 22 years and a three-week stint in a rehab centre, Brooke returned to work as a clerical assistant at the Royal Children’s Hospital in August.

However, returning to crowded trams has been a difficult experience and she’s now looking outside the square for a way to get to work each day.

“Maybe there would be a retired person living in Docklands who would be prepared to drive me to and from work,” Brooke asked.

“The whole reason for looking for somebody is because I only have the use of one arm, have a walking stick now, and getting up and down the old Melbourne trams is becoming a bit difficult.”

Brooke said she was happy to provide petrol money and hoped the opportunity would benefit both herself and any prospective drivers.

“It might provide a senior person with another avenue of socialising,” Brooke said. “Being local, it would be nice to connect with someone else living in the community.”

Brooke currently works Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8am until 2.30pm and is looking for a lift each day.

If you can help email Brooke at [email protected]