Jackson’s (half) marathon effort for The Alfred

Taking the ball out of a ruck contest, he went to move forward but two people fell on him, dislocating and breaking his hip. 

“It was a complete freak accident,” he said. “My knee hit the ground and my femur punched out the back of my hip socket.” 

Taken initially to Peninsula Private Hospital, Jackson was then transferred to The Alfred – a 10-minute drive from his Ripponlea home. 

What followed was four days where he couldn’t move, lying on his back and waiting for the procedure to stitch his hip socket back together and clean out bone fragments from the area. 

“I had a lot of time to think,” Jackson said. “And I thought that if I ever got the chance, I would do what I could to give back to this place. 

“I was just in awe of the nurses. They put up with so much. In my opinion they are one of the most underrated and undervalued in any working industry.  

“They are a big reason why people are able to mentally and physically recover as well as they do.” 

After the three-hour operation, Jackson woke up with nine screws and two plates in his hip – a now permanent fixture in his body. He returned home the next day and spent six weeks on crutches. 

He started running after three months, completed a triathlon after seven months and marked the one-year anniversary with a 25km run. 

Jackson, now aged 31, said while these milestones were all extremely important, he now had greater ambitions: “I want to break a 90-minute half-marathon at Run Melbourne on July 21 and I want to raise as much money as possible for The Alfred”. 

“Supporting The Alfred is not only for me, but also for those who are encountering even more difficult times than I did,” he said. “Any and all donations will go straight to a place that needs it most.” 

Jackson has had an incredible response to his fundraising drive, receiving almost $40,000 with about a month to go until the event – something of which he is “very proud”. 

“I’m not alone in appreciating a place like The Alfred,” he said. “Everyone around me cares about what matters to me, but they also care about what matters to the community – and that’s a place like The Alfred. 

“Family, friends, work colleagues, work associates ... everyone has been extremely supportive.” 

Jackson’s association with The Alfred does not end with him; his dad attended for cancer treatment 25 years ago and his brother also recently spent three weeks at the hospital after a work injury. 

“It’s been almost two years now and, minus the scar, I’ve pretty much never physically felt better,” he said. “I’m now trying to get to $50,000 raised. 

“I was out of pocket $30 when I left the hospital – and that was for a pair of crutches. This healthcare system in Australia, this is why we are one of the luckiest countries in the world. The care is amazing.” 

To support Jackson’s effort at next month’s Run Melbourne, or any of the other runners who are representing Team Alfred, visit our Run Melbourne fundraising page for Team Alfred.