CW//Mental Health Issues
We are excited to bring you this inspiring story, but with that, comes the guests truthful account of his mental health challenges and paralysing depression. If you feel you could be triggered by this content, you may want to skip this episode.

Today's guest is an incredible human.
As OAM and Queensland Australian of the Year, Dr Dinesh Palipana is a living demonstration of breaking down society barriers, particularly in the world of medicine. He was the first medical intern in Queensland with quadriplegia. He has reshaped the potential for not only graduating from medical school with a disability, but working as an emergency doctor.
Born in Sri Lanka in 1984, civil war, corruption and poverty shaped his early years and were the lens through which he encounters some of the biggest events in his life.
On the Brisbane motorway in 2010, when Dinesh was in medical school, his car spun out of control and he watched himself and his life literally being turned upside down. His medical training halted in that instant and he would spend the years that followed recovering as a patient with a spinal cord injury.
Today, Dinesh is a lawyer, a founding member of Doctors with Disabilities Australia. He's completed a clerkship at Harvard University. He's a senior lecturer at Griffith University and a spinal cord injury researcher. He currently also works in the emergency department at Gold Coast University Hospital. He is a senior advisor to the Disability Royal Commission and an ambassador to the Human Rights Commission's Includability Program.


Dr. Palipana opens up about his battle with depression, a struggle that began long before his spinal cord injury. Drawing inspiration from icons like Stephen Hawking and Christopher Reeve, Dr. Palipana's narrative underscores the importance of mental resilience and gratitude.

He recounts his transformation from feeling paralyzed by depression to celebrating life's simple pleasures and remarkable milestones, including writing his first book "Stronger" that's being adapted into a TV series.

As we discuss the evolving landscape of the healthcare system, Dr. Palipana's insights inspire us to champion inclusivity and empathy in medicine.

This episode promises to leave you motivated to support and empower diversity, challenging societal perceptions and inspiring future generations to break barriers.

Tune in for a truly inspiring conversation that celebrates the spirit of community care and transformation.

This episode of It Takes Heart has CEO of cmr Sam Miklos hosting alongside Head of Talent and Employer Branding, Kate Coomber.

We Care; Music by Waveney Yasso

More about Dinesh's Charity of Choice:

Titans Together The charitable arm of the club, Titans Together, endeavours to be a community focused, commercially motivated organisation that is driven to make a difference in people’s lives. Titans Together actively support local schools, clubs, charities and community organisations through our programs, appearances and donations. All donations to Titans Together are used to drive a range of community projects across Indigenous education, inclusion projects like LEAGUEABILITY, as well as development, participation and high-performance football programs. Visit www.titans.com.au for

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