In August 2016, Sarah Joyce’s life changed forever when she began experiencing flu-like symptoms. Within days, she was in an induced coma with a 5% chance of survival. Last year, she won the National Disability Leadership Change Making Award. Sarah was SHH!T Happens first customer.
At 30 years old, Sarah had a successful career and was a young recipient of a HESTA Nursing Award where she was recognised as one of Australia’s most remarkable nurses for ‘Innovation in Nursing’. When she first experienced the flu like symptoms she dismissed them, yet soon found herself in a critical condition with high fevers, shivering, and vomiting. Diagnosed with the deadly virus Meningococcal (Strain W), Sarah’s body shut down, and she was placed in an induced coma with less than a 5% chance of survival. Her family said their goodbyes multiple times, but miraculously, Sarah woke up nine days later.
Her journey to recovery was far from easy, with over 75 operations to save her life, multiple organ failures leading to the removal of her spleen, gallbladder, and large bowel, amputation of fingers and toes as well as an ileostomy and kidney transplant.
Despite enduring physical and mental struggles, including body dysmorphia and the loss of her independence, career, and ability to have children, Sarah made the courageous decision to share her journey and find purpose and worth. She became a passionate advocate for body positivity, inclusivity, and representation in media and fashion for people with scars and medical devices.
Her advocacy efforts have led to the recognition of World Meningitis Day in Australia, with health ministers acknowledging the day thanks to her dedicated advocacy work. Sarah received a personal letter from the Federal Minister for Health thanking her for her advocacy work and had her story shared in Parliament.
Sarah has featured on billboards and buses, she has spoken to international audiences and has featured in multiple news articles, radio interviews and podcasts including A Current Affair, Channel 9 News, news.com, Mamamia, local radio stations and more.
She continues to be an incredible advocate through ongoing hospital admissions and surgeries to manage the consequences of Meningococcal. Sarah’s further surgeries have meant her body continues to change, from changes and additions of medical devices to new scars, serving as a motivator to have a photoshoot to celebrate her body.
Making SHH!T Happen for Sarah’s Birthday.
On Sarah’s 38th birthday, 8 years on from when her life changed, our SHH!T Happens team organised a photoshoot for her – one that celebrates her spirit, beauty, confidence, survivorship and marks of survival. The medical system, constant illness and disability can mean that your body can be looked at as something that is ‘broken’ and requires fixing (medical model of disability). It can make you forget that you are human and feel beautiful, and can have a life alongside illness and disability. While capturing a moment, feeling and image may not mean much for some, coming from a lived experience perspective we know it can mean a lot.
We spent some time at Sarah’s house capturing some stunning images of Sarah with white roses.
We ventured out to one of the beaches on the Central Coast, to take some pictures by the water.
And we stopped traffic at the local 7/11.
But most of all, we celebrated Sarah – her beauty, her story, and her advocacy.
You can stay up to date with SHH!T Happens and Sarah on socials here:
Sarah Joyce – https://www.instagram.com/iamsarahjoyce_/
SHHIT Happens – https://www.instagram.com/shhithappensau/