Matthew Ames was 39 years old when what started as a sore throat resulted in the loss of all four of his limbs. He had contracted streptococcal resulting in toxic shock and was never expected to survive. Matthew has beaten the odds, spurred on by the fact that he is the father of four children and husband of a very dedicated wife determined to grow old with him.

MATTHEW’S CHALLENGE

Since his limbs were removed, Matthew has been faced with incredible challenges. Some of the biggest have been in knowledge available to him about his prospects and ideas about how much he should expect to be able to do. He is one of very few quadruple amputees in Australia, let alone globally. His limbs are significantly shorter than most and he relies entirely on his core strength to sit upright and move.  Most prosthetics are designed in the context that other limbs are available (arm prosthetics, for example, that have levers that need another arm to manoeuvre).

WHAT HE’S DOING NOW

Matthew came home in the first half of 2013 and was an outpatient at the Mater Private Rehabilitation Centre in Brisbane for two years. He initially focused on his rehabilitation and sharing his story of resilience with others. 

Matthew underwent a series of surgeries associated with a procedure called osseointegration. He is the first quadruple amputee to have this done on all four limbs.

Subsequent to his recovery, Matthew has demonstrated a passion for providing a voice for health consumers and people with a disability. He has been an integral part of improving healthcare delivery as part of a range of roles, including with the Sepsis Australia, Queensland Sepsis Program, Queensland Infection Clinical Network, Australian Commission for Patient Safety and Quality in Healthcare, and the Australian Digital Health Agency. 

The posts on this site were initially made to update the community supporting his recovery.  They have been stored here to provide a record for those interested or following similar challenges.

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