From tragedy to triumph to Courage to Care
THE journey from tragedy to triumph for Gary Cohen and his brother Brian will be featured at Courage to Care's annual appeal function on the weekend.
LEXI LANDSMAN
IT was a beautiful day in 1968 over the long weekend of Australia Day. Gary Cohen, then 14, was on a hike to receive a scout award.
“I returned home to find my family in ‘mourning’ -— I thought someone had died. What I learnt was that my brother Brian [then 16] had broken his neck that day diving into a sand bank on Bondi Beach,” Gary, 55, recalled.
It is the brothers’ journey from tragedy to triumph — creating one of the world’s leading health IT companies -— that Gary will discuss at Courage to Care’s annual appeal function on August 9 at the B’nai B’rith Centre.
Courage to Care chairman Andrew Havas hopes the appeal will raise $125,000, or enough to fund two exhibitions.
“I stand in awe of Brian [now 58] and his accomplishments. His setbacks -— and there have been many -— have been met with the same disregard of misfortune as the day he had his accident,” Gary said.
Up until he became a quadriplegic, Brian had been a great all-rounder and even travelled to the world scout jamboree.
“All of a sudden the outlook for him was very bleak — if not black,” Gary said, explaining that at the time, they didn’t know if he would even live.
Brian was in hospital for 12 months. He had a caliper on his skull and could only move his face and arm.
In the months after the accident, Gary said it was the constant “wall of love” provided by family and friends, and his brother’s optimism that pushed the family through.
“Brian’s inner strength was the guiding light for us all. His attitude enabled us all to adapt to this new world.”
Brian insisted on completing his Higher School Certificate and did so from hospital by dictating into an amanuensis. He came 100th in NSW in maths and won a scholarship to go to university, along with government support for assistance.
“When I went to university to study law, I became my brother’s keeper. Our lives became quite intertwined,” Gary said.
Brian went on to be awarded the university medal in science, majoring in computer science, and then a doctorate.
When he was 32, Brian moved to Singapore and established a software company, which formed the basis of a company specialising in healthcare. In 1995, Gary decided to join him.
Back then the business had $2 million revenue and 10 staff. They listed it on the stock exchange in 2000, and today have a revenue of $540 million and more than 4500 employees in 38 countries.
Gary hopes Brian’s achievements will be an inspiration to others.
“Brian doesn’t believe in looking backwards, the past has happened and you can’t change that. You can, with mazal and hard work, change the future.”
Courage to Care is a travelling exhibition, which has been developed by B’nai B’rith, designed to convey a message of communal tolerance and living in harmony.
Courage to Care’s annual appeal will take place on Sunday, August 9 at the B’nai B’rith centre, 22 Yurong Street East Sydney. Enquiries: (02) 9361 6035.
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