Ana Roman

“No one else can sing your song and no one else can write your story”

Ana Roman

Country of Origin: Mexico.

Occupation: Community Development and People and Culture Leader. State of Residency: VIC. Favourite place in Australia: I love all the places I have travelled, but I am still very impressed with the Great Ocean Road’s beauty and magic! Upon arrival surprised by: How friendly, incredibly helpful, generous and fun Australian people are. When an Aussie call you a real friend, you’ll likely become family!

By Claudia Viloria & Trini Abascal

Ana is a Community Development Leader with an extended experience supporting people and culture. She was pioneer and successful leader of the language exchanges at Lyceum Language Centre with both locals and international students. She has made incredible positive inputs towards the welfare of many Melbournians and the emerging Latino community by creating powerful networks. One of her most rewarding contributions was leading the Social Development Program for women from CALD communities integrating them in the workforce with a new career path as Carers at UNITED- Spanish Latin American Welfare Centre - in Partnership with Jesuit Social Services.

TELL US YOUR STORY

I arrived in Melbourne for the first time in 2009 and then in 2012 for the second time. I had a very good life in Mexico and it was not my plan to stay. I planned to study a short English course and then go traveling. However, from the beginning, I fell in love with this city. While I was studying in a language school, I saw the need for someone to coordinate the students' activities; so, I spoke with the owner and the Director, a brilliant empowering woman and together we created the new Students Activities Coordinator role. Although I spoke very little English, when I applied for the role, I got it maybe because I was the only applicant! It was a wonderful job experience. As part of my responsibilities, I organised language exchange events so international students could find job opportunities and get to know the real Australian life; while Australians had the opportunity to practice the language they were studying with native speakers.  Later on, my position developed into a Welfare Coordinator responsible for welcoming International Students and helping them to connect with different services around Melbourne. During that period, I had the opportunity to meet my best friends in Australia.

A few years later, I moved to UNITED, an organisation in the community sector working for CALD communities, mainly Spanish elderly speakers. My role focused on recruiting, training and developing volunteers, and coordinating different community engagement projects. I learned the positive impact of volunteering and how it can make a difference in people’s lives. I was quickly promoted to Human Resources Leader. It was an intense and interesting professional experience, where I could apply my knowledge and experience in Psychology and Neuropsychology from Mexico as well as the concepts of diversity and inclusion which I learned by working with international students. However, at that time, I did not realise that I was losing my motivation and I was putting myself under lots of pressure. I started to feel sick.

Ana celebrating life and the support from her dearest mum and beautiful friends

In February 2019, I was transitioning jobs when I was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease called Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS). Within a week I became completely paralysed from all my body and I could no longer breathe by myself. I could only communicate with my eyes, getting sicker and sicker. I was on life support for 50 days in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where I had the most challenging time in my life. My body, mind, and spirit were fighting to survive. I had many infections, blood transfusions and different types of complications. However, in between the chaos, I always picture myself being ‘the happy Ana again walking out from hospital one day’. ICU became so familiar to me. I made new friends even with all those machines that kept me alive for such a long time. I spent three months in hospital until I re-learned everything: how to breathe, swallow, talk again, slowly get my strength back, move my arms and legs, sit up and slowly start to walk, eat by myself, be safe; and finally slowly become the independent and happy Ana again. Every stage of this process has been a challenge, but I always say to myself: ‘it is temporary, learn from it and move forward’.

All that I can say from this experience is that I am the luckiest person in this world because I have had the most incredible support from my family, friends, hospital staff and all the people who has been there with me so generously sending me messages, cards, videos, presents, financial support and all the love that saved my life. Teamwork, empowerment, connection and a strong sense of belonging have been the key to my recovery. It is a miracle to be alive right now and to be well enough to be able to write my story.

CHALLENGES

Facing the unknown - Life is full of unknown circumstances but migrating to a new country, learning a new language, not having family and friends close by, and starting from zero can make things harder. However, I know that you can always work things out. The most important thing for me to work on while in the hospital was to learn to keep my mind positive, no matter what (as many things were out of my control because of the unknown).

Being very sick - GBS is very unpredictable and the doctors told me that it was going to take many months or even years to have full motor control over my body again. But I have had great care until now. My dearest mum, who flew from Mexico, and the best ‘Ana’s team’- friends and family who not only respected my choices but also advocated on my behalf, sorted out things, sat by my bedside and together we worked hard towards my goals. They have been my strength, motivation and my light when my days are dark.

Losing perspective - First I was focus to learn good English, then to get a better job, get my Neuropsychology postgraduate recognised, get my PR, make new friends and maintain the older friends, keep in touch with family overseas and do not miss any party just in case… somehow I achieved everything, but I forgot about me, my mental and physical health, which is the most important thing in life. Now I am a GBS survivor but aren’t we all survivors of our own story? Of course we are, and that is called wonderful growth. 

CONTRASTS

Ana’s birthday fundraising party: Supporting girls education in Africa

Open attitude - Since I arrived in Melbourne, I have many stories about Australians genuinely being friendly, welcoming and becoming my best friends and family here. I met one of my best Aussie friends in the street, which is something that would not happen easily in Mexico, maybe simply because of it is unsafe.

Sense of humour - I love the Aussie dry sense of humour - when some Aussies teasing you, it means that they like you. Whereas in Mexico, we do not tease friends in the same way because it can be rude. It took me time to get used to it (and still learning), have a laugh and teasing them in return. It is really fun once you get it.

Multiculturalism - I have found myself many times in an Australian house where the only Australian person is the host and everyone else comes from different countries. It fascinates me how many cultures are interacting every day in different scenarios. There is not a place where I feel prouder to be Mexican, to have an accent, and to share my real Mexican tacos.

PIECE OF ADVICE 

Be fearless – Life is too short, so do not be afraid and take the opportunities that feel right for you. There is nothing to lose, be confident of what you can offer to Australia and surround yourself in an environment where you can genuinely feel connected, where you can share your knowledge and skills. Australians value and appreciate that and you will build a solid network that makes you feel empowered and happy with the new version of yourself.

Be your own hero - We can always change our reality and circumstances even in the most vulnerable scenarios. We need to find strategies to live in the in-between place and embrace the uncertainty of life, you already have come very far. You are in charge, no one else can sing your song and no one else can write your story. We all are our heroes and our power come from within.

Be compassionate and kind - You never know what people are going through. I helped many people living in vulnerable conditions but I never fully understood them until now when I have learned how to be kind and compassionate with myself. At the end of the day, we all are humans with amazing strengths and many opportunities. All that we can do is do our best, just be kind.

IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS…

Ana will continue redesigning her life and finding the beauty in her illness. She is already writing her story and sharing it in different international blogs to help and inspire others who are living with rare diseases, such as hers. She would love to bring awareness of people who suffers a rare disease like hers. Ana has been invited to help patients with GBS and their families at the Alfred Hospital in ICU; and contribute with her experience as a patient to find gaps in the improvement and best practices in ICU. She is going to be part of the International Rare Disease Day 2020 celebration in Australia. Next month, she will be celebrating to be alive as she was diagnosed with GBS last February 2019. She can’t wait to have lots of fun on that day. Everyone is invited!