Diane Cox and her love of music
BrainLink first shared Diane's story about eight years ago, following her stroke that occurred five years earlier in August 2011. At that time, BrainLink met with her father, Brian, over coffee. Brian was Diane’s primary caregiver and visited her regularly at the aged care facility where she lived after her stroke. Diane spent most of her time in bed, unable to move or speak.
Brian was very grateful for the therapy Diane received and often visited her before her physiotherapy sessions to help warm her up by moving her limbs. He thought music might aid her recovery, given Diane’s lifelong love of music. Although he admitted he wasn't a fan himself, he played a couple of Suzi Quatro CDs for Di while assisting with her exercises. That’s when Brian noticed Di trying to move her lips to sing along with the music.
Brian was very grateful for the therapy Diane received and often visited her before her physiotherapy sessions to help warm her up by moving her limbs. He thought music might aid her recovery, given Diane’s lifelong love of music. Although he admitted he wasn't a fan himself, he played a couple of Suzi Quatro CDs for Di while assisting with her exercises. That’s when Brian noticed Di trying to move her lips to sing along with the music.
Five years after her stroke, Diane showed her first sign of recognising Brian. One day, he walked into her room, and said, “Hello love, how are you going?” and she smiled at him, which was a significant moment after five long years without any recognition.
Diane has continued to make slow but steady progress in her recovery. She is now much more alert and can consistently respond with “yes” or “no,” as well as make choices about her daily activities. Diane has a daughter and a son, and she is a grandmother to four boys. Di’s only brother lives overseas, so in the early days following her stroke, Brian was her main support as her children were raising their own families. As Brian aged, Kelly, Diane’s daughter, became her primary support person. Tragically, Brian passed away in September 2024.
In January 2023, before Brian's passing, Diane moved from the aged care facility, where she had lived since her stroke in 2011, to a Supported Disability Accommodation house not far from Kelly’s home. This move has been wonderful for Di, as it provides a much nicer environment for Kelly and her children to visit her.
Music continues to play a significant role in Di’s life. She enjoys regular music therapy, which has helped her regain more of her speech. Diane has also attended Suzi Quatro concerts twice in recent years, with her most recent performance at the Palais Theatre in January 2025. The short video attached is Di at the Suzie Quatro concert in January.