When Australian Story first filmed with Dr Justin Yerbury, the world-renowned scientist's research into motor neurone disease had taken on a terrible urgency. Diagnosed with the disease in 2016, his condition had begun to deteriorate dramatically.

By last Christmas he was unable to breathe unassisted and without major surgery to provide permanent mechanical ventilation he wouldn't survive.

Determined to continue his search for a cure and spend more time with his family, he had the operation and when the episode aired early in the year he was in ICU, struggling with post-operative complications. He would remain there for six months.

But the past couple of months have seen some remarkable developments. Not only has he finally returned home, he is now going into the office two days a week to continue his vital research into the disease.

Australian Story caught up with Justin and his family to record his astonishing progress.

Introduced by former Wallabies captain John Eales

By the time this year's Queensland schoolboy rugby union season was over, four teenagers had broken their necks, their lives changed forever.

Two of them, Conor Tweedy and Ollie Bierhoff, should have competed against each other.

Instead, after separate accidents a week apart, they found themselves side by side in the Spinal Injuries Unit contemplating quadriplegia.

In hospital, both boys threw themselves into their recoveries.

One had a recovery deemed ‘miraculous'; for the other, the road back is much steeper.