“When you have a cane, you still need a support person to guide you. But once you've got a Seeing Eye Dog, you can go out independently. You feel proud and safe because you’ve got your bestie by your side to communicate to,” Colleen says.
Colleen believes that everything happens for a reason. She believes that things happen for us, not to us, and that everyone has a plan destined for them. So, when she woke up from a heart transplant in 2017 with no vision, she knew her life was changed for a reason.
“People always ask me if I was scared when I woke up, but I never was. I’ve always believed everything happens for a reason and gives us purpose. I didn't want my family’s lives to change, so I was motivated to get up and get myself back to where I was,” she says.
Colleen had been in an induced coma for four days with her chest open. Through a lack of blood and oxygen, her optic nerve was damaged, and she now lives with only 5% peripheral vision in her right eye.
“Within about five days of me waking up, someone from Vision Australia came to the hospital and started showing me how to use my phone to get the ball rolling,” she explains. Six months later, she decided to apply for a Seeing Eye Dog, and was matched with Xian for seven years. Now, Colleen is matched with Inca, a gentle, placid girl who spends her spare time playing with Xian.
Colleen recalls being apprehensive at first, but from the moment she first held Xian’s harness, she knew the impact this decision would have on her life. “Once I had her by my side, life changed,” Colleen explains. “She gave me independence and freedom."
Before losing her vision, Colleen was a dedicated support teacher. Rather than letting her diagnosis halt her career, she adapted creatively and taught students to read aloud to her. An active person her whole life, Colleen channelled her energy into fitness and writing during the pandemic, eventually leaving teaching to focus on these passions.
Today, Colleen is a two-time published author, currently finalising her third book. An accomplished athlete, she has represented Australia at the Transplant Games, bringing home four gold medals and one silver. Whether swimming, cycling, practicing yoga and Pilates, or paddling a kayak, you'll always find Inca by her side.
Through it all, Colleen has never faltered to tackle life with positivity, a feat made easier with her companions by her side. As she says, “There have been moments of course, when I come crashing down in tears and it's all just too hard, but I always say, it's all right to have a cup of tea when feeling down, just don't make it your home.” It’s that very sentiment that pushed Colleen to apply for a Seeing Eye Dog and put her independence above all.
