Last night, like many before, the news opened with another knife attack in Melbourne. I used to watch these stories and think, “That could never happen to me.” Melbourne always felt safe. My city, my backyard. But in January 2024, my life changed in a way I never saw coming.
Today, I walked out of Mornington Private Hospital after my final check-up. It’s a milestone that means more than words can say. For the past 18 months, I’ve run the gauntlet physically, emotionally, and financially. I survived. I recovered. But the truth is, I should never have had to. No Melburnian should.
Let me take you back. It was a perfect summer on the Mornington Peninsula, my annual tradition before returning to Queensland for work. This January, I’d just landed a role with my great same long-time employer. In a location up north, that I was chasing for years – everything was falling into place. On my last night in Melbourne, I had dinner with friends in the CBD. My car was parked across the street, right in the heart of town. It was around 11pm, not late but these city streets had always felt like home.
That night, everything changed.
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