James Wood, of Perth, Australia, is a shadow of his former self, a man who was once a confident and outgoing entrepreneur who loved golfing, cycling and cooking
A dad went into hospital for an operation — but came out with a permanent brain injury.
James Wood needed surgery when clots in his lungs caused his heart to enlarge, after which he spent days in intensive care and his condition deteriorated. The operation was complex but complications left James unable to maintain eye contact with others, struggle to squeeze his wife Nina’s hand and struggled to swallow food.
His behaviour became erratic at home too, when James was allowed out of hospital. The entrepreneur became confused and disoriented, called family members the wrong names and sent text messages made up of jumbled letters which made no sense.
And now, two years after the operation, James has finally had a diagnosis; Perioperative Hypoxic Ischaemic Vascular Parkinsonism, a rare condition which has permanently affected his brain function. Nina has become James’ sole carer — despite her own battle with thyroid cancer herself.
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James’ daughter Keara, 20, said: “It took so much advocating to get his current diagnosis… They put his mood changes, behavioural issues and everything we were raising down to depression. But it wasn’t depression, it was a brain injury.
“He can’t eat properly or speak clearly, he’s lost everything. The fact that a brain injury was (initially) misdiagnosed as depression, after we said it didn’t feel right, was really difficult to accept, especially when we knew something more serious was being missed.”
James, who is from Perth, Australia, once loved golfing, cycling and cooking, but now struggles to walk, speak clearly and swallow safely. The father’s contrast from a healthy man to severe deterioration happened rapidly, which left Keara and her older sister Saffron, 22, worried.
But Keara, who is currently studying a double Bachelor’s degree in Criminology and Psychology, says she was not able to properly say goodbye to the father she once knew — and this has been one of the most painful parts of the experience. She added: “I didn’t get to say goodbye to the dad I knew. It feels like a part of him was taken from us.”
James had to stop working in 2024, around one year after the hospital visit. He has since suffered falls, lost weight and struggled with basic daily functions. The family say some clots still remain, highlighting the complexity of his condition.
Keara has now launched a GoFundMe to help support her family, fund her mum’s cancer treatment, and cover her dad’s care.
“This is about giving my mum a chance to stop. If people can donate, it would mean everything. And if not, sharing our story helps more than people realise,” Keara continued.
