Dear <<First Name>>
It is with great sadness that we write to you regarding the passing of Neil Sachse, founder of the Neil Sachse Centre for Spinal Cord Injury Research.
Neil was unique; someone whose determination and grit saw him create the Neil Sachse Foundation 25 years ago, transitioning the Foundation to the Neil Sachse Centre at SAHMRI more than three years ago. His quiet, persistent manner resulted in world first research programs, funded by your generous support.
Neil himself best summed up his outlook on life when interviewed by LifeAgain in 2016:
“Mine is not a hard-luck story, but a story of someone dealing with his lot in life, for better and for worse. Having a positive attitude was part of my solution. By being happy within myself I knew that other people would follow. By drowning in my sorrows, others around me would drown. I had seen plenty of that in my early days in the spinal unit,” he stated.
Neil’s dedication to curing Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) inspires us all, and we are committed to continuing his vision to better diagnose, treat and ultimately cure SCI. One of the people responsible for managing that legacy is Dr Ryan O’Hare Doig, the Centre’s lead researcher. Dr O’Hare Doig leads several research initiatives, most prominently Project Discovery – research Neil was extremely passionate about, utilising high-tech imaging techniques for more rapid and accurate diagnosis of spinal cord injury.
“I can’t overstate the impact Neil has had on my work but also on me as a person. Our community has lost a great role model and an even better friend,” Dr O’Hare Doig said yesterday.
Better outcomes for people with spinal cord injury will be one of Neil’s greatest achievements, along with so many initiatives he undertook. In 2009, he received the Premier’s Award for Outstanding Community Achievement in South Australia. In 2014 he was a state finalist for Australian of the Year and in 2018 he was honoured with the Spirit of Australia Award from Sport SA.
This is a difficult time. We will miss Neil dearly, we are poorer for his loss, but spinal cord injury research is so much richer for what Neil has been able to achieve and we are privileged to continue his legacy.
Neil is survived by his wife Janyne, their two sons and five grandchildren, who request privacy while they deal with his passing.
To Neil’s dedicated supporters, friends and colleagues, thank you for your outpouring of heartfelt wishes and wonderful stories about how Neil impacted you. Many of you have asked how you can show your support to Neil and help continue his legacy. We have a fundraising page set up where you can donate to the Neil Sachse Centre online, with our grateful thanks. We will let you know about any memorial and tributary events we are able to undertake to celebrate and honour this great man.
Yours sincerely
Sarah Boucaut
Director, Neil Sachse Centre
M 042 225 7425
SAHMRI, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000 Australia
PO Box 11060, Adelaide SA 5001 www.sahmri.com
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