Twelve months ago, Ghassan “Gus” Shaer featured in a WISE Employment story after landing part-time work at VIC Clothing Exporters. At the time, he spoke about his struggles with injury, grief and mental health — but he wasn’t ready to share the full truth.
Now, a year on, Gus is still employed, walking tall (literally), and ready to tell the story he once kept hidden — a story of childhood trauma, addiction, incarceration and, ultimately, a powerful comeback.
“I’ve come a long way,” he says. “Back then I wasn’t proud of who I was. Now I can own it — all of it — and stand by the person I’ve become.”
Gus grew up in Dandenong, the son of Palestinian migrants. Life at home was turbulent. “There was a lot of violence,” he says. “My dad was old school. He did what he thought was right, but I was always afraid. That sticks with you.”
By his late teens, Gus was deep in the party scene, using heavily. After committing an armed robbery while high, he was sentenced to prison. “I did time, yeah. It broke my family’s heart. But it also woke me up.”
After release, Gus completed a rehab program, got clean, and landed work through his brother at a city law firm. Then in 2011, while volunteering at a charity event, he was injured in a fall that ruptured two spinal discs. The pain was excruciating. Surgeries followed. So did a dependency on painkillers.
His father died soon after. Then his mother. Then his cousin. Then his best mate. “I went from clean and working to completely shut down,” he says. “I was in pain every day. I was angry. And I didn’t know how to come back from it.”
That moment came when Gus walked into WISE Employment Wantirna in July 2023. “I had nothing left,” he says. “I just knew I needed to try.”
There, he met Business Manager Laurianne — someone he now describes as “a turning point in human form.”
“He was in a very raw space when he came to us,” Laurianne says. “The potential was there, but he’d been through so much that belief in himself was really low. That can show up as anger, defensiveness, withdrawal — we saw all of it. But we also saw his heart.”
Laurianne found Gus his first role through WISE with Klaud, the owner of VIC Clothing Exporters — and he’s been there ever since.
Gus, Laurieanne and Luad standing in front of a white wall with coloured text
Klaud remembers the first impression well. “I always liked him from the start and his heart was in the right place,” he says. “But we went a bit pear-shaped at one point — he stretched the friendship a little.”
That moment could have undone everything. Gus took a couple of weeks off. In the past, that might’ve been the end of the road. But with Laurianne’s support, both sides were able to work through it.
“She and WISE stepped in and helped him realise the grass isn’t always greener,” Klaud says. “That support made a big difference — not just for Gus, but for me too.”
Gus returned with a renewed focus and a new sense of ownership. “It wasn’t just a job. It was a lifeline,” he says.
He threw himself into the work, helping wherever he could — in logistics, with orders, in back-office tasks — and began rebuilding trust, both with Klaud and with himself.
“Since he’s come back, he’s been better than ever,” Klaud says. “I’m very lucky to have him. He’s always available and our customers are happy. You don’t get many people like that — people who have a conscience. It’s a win-win.”
Klaud has worked with WISE for years and says the relationship has become an essential part of his business. “I don’t really advertise. I just let WISE know I’m looking for someone and they almost read my mind and find the perfect candidate.”
As a small business owner collecting and repurposing second-hand goods for charity, Klaud says post-placement support is critical. “These guys come with some issues and Laurianne helps us navigate the challenges that come with keeping people in a job. I don’t have time to balance the work and personal stuff — Laurianne does a great job with that.”
He also says the nature of the work tends to suit people who need structure. “The nature of our work means there are limits to the tasks we can offer — which is why people with a disability often enjoy working here. It’s consistent, regular and routine. That works for some people, but not for everybody.”
But real change takes time. And for Gus, a key shift came in late December, after he lost his driver’s licence. “I could’ve spiralled. But I didn’t. I made a decision to start walking. Literally,” he says. “Now I walk over 70 kilometres a week. Haven’t taken a sick day all year. I feel clearer than I have in years.”
He’s off painkillers, managing pain through a GP-supervised program, and now sees the morning sun as part of his daily therapy.
At work, he’s become a steady presence — and a quiet mentor to a younger colleague going through a tough time. “I see a lot of myself in him. I’m trying to be the bloke I needed when I was younger.”
He’s also thinking about study — youth counselling, maybe — and wants to one day speak to others who’ve been in his shoes. “I want to talk to people in prison or rehab. I want to show them you can come back from anything.”
Klaud already has plans for what’s next. “When he gets his licence back, I’m going to throw a few new tasks at him. I need him on the road, helping us build up supply again.”
But behind everything, Gus says, is one person who’s helped steady him more than anyone. “My partner Elizabeth — she’s my rock. My healer. She’s helped restore my soul, honestly. When you’ve been through what I’ve been through, having someone love you without needing to fix you — that’s powerful.”
Laurianne, who’s seen the entire arc of Gus’s growth, says it’s been nothing short of remarkable. “He’s not just showing up now — he’s thriving. He’s open, generous, and steady. That’s the word I use most about Gus now: steady.”
Ask him what he’d say to someone at rock bottom, and he leans forward. “Just give yourself a clean month. Four weeks off the gear. That’s all. The fog starts to lift — and once it does, you’ll start to see the version of you that’s worth fighting for.”
He smiles. “I used to hide who I was. Not anymore. I’ve still got work to do, but I’m proud of who I am. And if you told me that a year ago — I wouldn’t have believed you.”
Gus first shared his story with WISE in 2024. To read it, visit: Gus proves there’s always light at the end of the tunnel – even when you can’t see it
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