Forty reasons to celebrate
Last night, Cleis Norbury celebrated her 40th birthday, 21 years after an attacker savagely beat her and left her for dead.
EVERY birthday celebrated by Cleis Norbury is a gift her family didn’t expect to have.
Her 40th birthday is, not just a milestone for Cleis, but for all those who know her and didn’t think she would live beyond 18.
That was the age she was when an attacker savagely beat Cleis and left her seemingly for dead in a Cairns alleyway on October 6, 1996.
Last night, 21 years on, she joined close friends and family at a birthday gathering to share a few drinks, cut a cake and celebrate life.
“It’s a huge celebration, making 40,” says Cleis’ mother, remote area nurse Rhonda Norbury.
“A lot of those years have been lost, certainly for me as a mother.”
She is sad her daughter missed out on the teenage sleepovers and simple pleasures of life, such as choosing what nail polish to wear and what outfits to buy. Instead, she has been left with permanent brain damage and had to relearn how to walk, talk, eat, read and live independently.
But Rhonda is also grateful for the second chance Cleis has been given.
Her daughter is strong and determined with a sense of humour and a clear insight into the brain injury which has robbed her of her past and which still causes memory loss.
Cleis describes her mother as her best friend.
“Mum is extremely special to me,” Cleis says. “We’re very much alike. We think the same all the time.”
She admires her mother’s patience and understanding.
“Without that, I wouldn’t be here. She always stops and listens. She has the patience to stop and listen properly, where nowadays, people don’t really listen to anything from anyone.”
After years of unwavering support from her mother, Cleis recently got the chance to repay her when Rhonda broke her ankle and was out of action for three months.
“Cleis did a wonderful job,” Rhonda says. “She took over. She said you’re coming to stay with me.
“She looked after me, took me to the hospital for fracture clinic, helped me shower, washed my clothes, cooked, brought me coffee in bed – the whole lot. It was a role reversal.
“I want people to know Cleis made it to 40 and be able to celebrate that she’s come this far. It (the attack) was a shock for the whole community. The town was very supportive. Even now there is a lot of support for Cleis. People look out for her.”
I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW CLEIS MADE IT TO 40 AND BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THAT SHE’S CAME THIS FAR. IT (THE ATTACK) WAS A SHOCK FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. RHONDA NORBURY