He lost the use of his left arm and both his legs nearly 15 years ago. Today, he advocates for wheelchair accessibility and inclusion. Our series of Courage To Come Back award profiles concludes with a look at Mark Stockbrocks of Vancouver, the recipient in the Medical category.
On Nov. 27, 2011, he suffered a massive brain bleed caused by a congenital AVM – short for arteriovenous malformation.
“I bled for 15 hours. And to make it through [that], I’m absolutely blessed and fortunate to be here [talking] with you,” he said.
Stockbrocks was in the best shape of his life, training to become a firefighter when it happened.
“It doesn’t matter how fit you are, if your brain decides to just start bleeding one day, that’s going to happen. That’s fate. It’s how you react.”
He says his injury reset his whole life.
“I travelled independently to 30 countries before I was 30, and that includes living in Japan for seven years. So, to go from that to, like, boom, you can’t move anymore, that was a major adjustment. But when you have no choice, it’s easy.”
Fifteen years after his stroke, he continues to deal with the repercussions – including two more surgeries scheduled for this year.
“My mom calls me a fixer-upper. It’s true,” he said. “I’m an ongoing work-in-progress, but we’re getting there.”
“I have had so many surgeries. In fact, I love them because I come out better than when I went in, and that’s the whole plan, I think. Yeah, bring them on, surgeries, I’m a fan.”
Stockbrocks hopes his Courage To Come Back award allows him to shine a light on a cause close to his heart: wheelchair accessibility. He is a one-man advocacy organization through his Access Heroes group, pushing for everything from push-button door openers to heat sensors, all to make the world a more inclusive place.
“My drive with Access Heroes is to try our best to get door openers installed in as many locations globally as feasible. We’re well off here in Canada, so we really have no excuse not to get this done.”
“I love the work, but it’s obviously a lot for one guy. So, it would be nice to get some help. It’s been rewarding, but it’s been a slog, I’ll be honest. I could use help.”
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Despite his many challenges, he remains relentlessly upbeat.
“Stay positive because you’re alive.”
He says finding his purpose and staying busy has made all the difference.
“Don’t give up because hard work does pay off. And it’s fun too. You must be active and productive. That’s my advice.”
1130 NewsRadio is a proud sponsor of the 2026 Coast Mental Health Courage To Come Back awards, which are being handed out tonight at the Vancouver Convention Centre.