Gold Coast youngster transforms lived experience into trauma prevention

At 17, Hannah Nunn’s life changed at a time when it should have just been beginning.

In her final year of high school, the Gold Coast local was focused on exams, graduation and her upcoming formal when she was involved in a serious car accident in July 2025.

Hannah was sitting in the back middle seat of a car driven by a friend of the same age when their vehicle collided head-on with a 4WD at high speed.

Her recollection of the crash is hazy - just an intense feeling of not being able to breathe, followed by emergency crews surrounding the car.

The next thing she remembers is waking up in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH).

Hannah spent almost a month in ICU and on the trauma ward, recovering from significant injuries including lacerations to her lungs, liver and spleen, broken ribs and severe seatbelt friction wounds to name just a few.

She underwent 13 surgical procedures and has since had physiotherapy and psychology appointments to continue her rehabilitation journey.

But instead of allowing the incident to define her, Hannah was determined to find meaning in what had been a deeply traumatic experience.

As part of that journey, she began volunteering with the Prevent Alcohol and Risk Related Trauma in Youth (P.A.R.T.Y.) program, turning her lived experience into a powerful message for young people.

This February, Hannah returned to GCUH to speak with a group of St Michael’s College students, sharing her story in the hope of encouraging them to think twice about risk taking behaviour.

The P.A.R.T.Y. program was developed by a Canadian trauma nurse more than 40 years ago and has been delivered at Gold Coast Health since 2015.

Spearheaded locally by Trauma Nurse Navigator Matt Scott and his team, the program aims to help young people recognise and reduce risk.

“At the core, it’s about kids recognising risk and reducing that,” he said.

For Hannah, sharing her experience has become part of the healing process.

“People wouldn’t expect me to be where I am now after going through that, but I look and feel so much better,” she said.

Matt, whom Hannah now affectionately refers to as being like an ‘uncle’, has watched her journey from the early days of trauma care to confident public speaker.

“Hannah has just finished school, and doors are opening in her life, yet she’s chosen to put her time aside to talk to these kids,” he said.

“We’ve already seen her grow and become more confident each time she speaks.”

Hannah hopes participants take away one simple but powerful message - speak up when something doesn’t feel right.

“It’s so easy to prevent something bad from happening just by speaking out,” she said.

Now, looking forward, Hannah says the experience has reshaped how she views the world.

“I’m more patient with myself now and I don’t take anything for granted.”