How blood donors made Lara’s life possible again
Lara has a deep love for performing. A guitarist and actress, she’s the kind of person who lights up under the spotlight — someone whose presence feels effortless the moment she steps onstage. Music and storytelling have always been a place where she shines, even as life has thrown its share of challenges her way.
On a ski trip in July 2023, Lara fell off a cliff, falling five metres into a rock bank. In seconds, the life she knew shifted. She had shattered vertebrae, broken ribs, punctured lungs, a broken sternum, a fractured meniscus disc, a minor brain bleed, and hypothermia. The days that followed were a blur of surgeries, quiet fear, and the kind of waiting that makes time stretch.
Her recovery spanned three hospitals over three months. She had to learn to walk again, a reality that would have felt impossible if not for a steady inner voice she repeated to herself every day: “If you tell yourself that you need to do something and that you don't have a choice, it becomes a lot easier.” She told her parents she would walk again. And, slowly, she did.
Because strangers chose to donate blood, Lara didn’t just survive: she thrived. She graduated from university. She moved out of home. She stepped into her first lead role in a feature film and even had the chance to perform in the Unlikely Version of Sia’s ‘Unstoppable.’
Performing live with Tina Arena and Ngaiire was a standout moment for Lara. The performance was something she described as incredible, especially given everything she had overcome to get there. ‘Unstoppable’ is a reminder to all of us that moments like these are only possible because people choose to donate blood. If you can, book a donation and help make more moments like this possible.
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