Paula never expected a medical issue to change her entire life. She had a corporate office job, was raising her two boys, and getting on with life until her hips began failing and surgery led to unpaid leave, workplace pressure, and ultimately a nervous breakdown that placed her on the Disability Pension.
She had a job. She was raising her two boys. Life was busy, but it was moving forward.
Then her body started to fail her.
In 2015, Paula’s hips began deteriorating.
“My hips started failing me and I found it really hard to walk and (do) stuff.”
By 2018, she had a hip replacement. What was meant to be a short period of recovery quickly became something much harder.
“I went on unpaid sick leave. It was meant to be eight weeks.”
Just two weeks into recovery, the pressure started.
“I was getting harassed left, right and centre from my supervisor. Ringing me on weekends going, ‘What’s physio saying? When are you coming back?’”
Paula felt trapped between her health and her responsibilities.
“I felt like I had to push myself for me and my two boys.”
The pressure took its toll.
“It was major anxiety. I just ended up basically having a full on nervous breakdown.”
Eventually, Paula was placed on the Disability Pension.
The financial shift was sudden and confronting.
“It was horrific. It was so hard.”
She went from a corporate office job to having to monitor every single dollar.
“Having to watch what you could buy and what you couldn’t buy anymore. Having to budget for food and everything.”
It was a huge adjustment.
Paula discovered Lighthouse Care in the most unexpected way.
“I was at ALDI one day getting some food and I was on a really strict budget.”
She struck up a conversation with a stranger while shopping.
“I was talking to this lady about my situation, with my hip replacement and going from a corporate office job to the Disability Pension.”
The woman made a simple suggestion.
“She said, ‘Oh, you should try Lighthouse Care. That is up in Logan.’”
Paula thanked her and went to the checkout.
“And then I got to the checkout and I put my food through and they were like, ‘Oh that lady’s already paid for your food.’”
Paula broke down.
“I just burst into tears. I was like, there are some lovely people in the world.”
She has been coming to Lighthouse Care ever since.
Paula’s challenges did not stop with her own health.
“I’ve got a couple of disabilities and my son and I are immunocompromised.”
For her family, even routine grocery shopping can come with serious risks.
“In times when viral seasons are really full on, we just can’t risk getting sick on top of what we’re already dealing with.”
That is where Lighthouse Care’s click and collect service became essential.
“Click and collect is really beneficial because of our autoimmune disease and my son’s sickness. It just makes it easier for us to be able to get our groceries.”
Instead of navigating crowded stores, Paula could order online for home delivery or for click and collect and have groceries loaded straight into her car.
“It’s the safest thing. If you don’t like crowds, you can beat the crowd and just go in and out, get your trolley.”
“It’s a virtual store. It’s fantastic.”
Over time, Paula saw that her story was not unique.
“There’s a whole range of customers that were wanting to do more contactless shopping.” – says Lighthouse Care Operational Manager, Daniel Hill
For Paula, the difference has been simple but profound.
“There’s never a shortage of food. It’s never, ‘You can’t eat that because we’ve got to make it last.’”
“It’s never like that. They’ve always got food there for them.”
Paula’s story is a reminder that food insecurity does not always begin with unemployment or poor choices.
Sometimes it begins with a diagnosis.
Sometimes with surgery.
Sometimes with caring for the people you love.
And sometimes, it begins with your body letting you down.
Her journey shows how quickly life can change, and how dignity, accessibility, and compassion can make all the difference when it does.
