s p ec i a l f e at u r e
04
05
"In getting to know Andrew, I have
been touched and inspired by his
passionate dedication towards
humanity, the environment, innovation
and quite simply his daily motto, 'to
make a difference'.
On presentation of the
WeatherGuard, I was impressed and
amazed at its simplicity and being a
home owner, am very much aware of
the 'needs' that WeatherGuards can
solve.
I have offered Andrew help in
achieving his goals for WeatherGuards
to become an Australian success...I’m
more than happy to lend a hand in
bringing the project forward."
Jack Thompson
Australian actor and Order of Australia
Award recipient.
06
Andrew was ceased to exist. He lost all basic
bodily functions, including the ability to feed
himself, go to the bathroom or even smile.
After the accident, Andrew faced months
of excruciating pain to make a recovery
from traumatic brain injury. "I was totally
dependent on conventional hospital based
rehabilitation," explains Andrew. "Drugs,
MRIs, speech pathology, more drugs, physio,
memory exercises, and relearning basic life
skills, all slowly followed. Today, it is fair to
say that I will never look at buttering a simple
piece of toast in the same way again."
As Andrew slowly began to heal, he
developed an interest in his recovery. "With
the experience of prolonged hospitalisation
behind me, I was determined to explore drug
free approaches to health and wellbeing,"
says Andrew. "I [began] to adopt a lifestyle
that included daily yoga, exercise and
meditation, eating organic food, and a
number of regular and necessary therapies
- chiropractic, physio, acupuncture and
remedial massage – that relieved my ongoing
pain and improved my quality of life. With
dedication, I still maintain this lifestyle some
14 years on."
Andrew believes that in spite of his amazing
recovery, rehabilitation from injury has been
his toughest challenge. "Having to relearn so
many basic things that as an adult you take
for granted, like walking, talking, eating and
smiling – this has been the most confronting
thing I have ever experienced! But, from this
personal experience I have come to believe
that for many, brain injury need not be a life
sentence. I truly believe that with the correct
treatment, diet and lifestyle, along with
perseverance, many sufferers can achieve
amazing potentials," Andrew explains.
01 Jack Thompson, Australian actor and Order of Australia Award
recipient, and Andrew Cottle, Window WeatherGuards inventor.
05 Exploded view of Window WeatherGuards and the ‘Self Locking In
Channel Fly Frame’.
02 Andrew in hospital with incredible support from family and friends.
06 Window WeatherGuard is easy to install, suitable for most homes
and buildings and can be fitted to most Australian standard sliding
windows.
03 One of Andrew’s many brain scans.
04 Andrew and Haigh staff inspecting Window WeatherGuards at the
production factory in Marcoola.
Windows Magazine Winter 2016 23