Making Headway Newsletter â Mini, March 2015
Transcription
Making Headway Newsletter â Mini, March 2015
Making Headway Autumn 2015 Our Mission To ensure a quality of life that maximizes potential, choice and independence for people with Acquired Brain Injury, their families/whanau and carers. Above photo: Board member and volunteer, Coral Atkins selling raffle tickets at Wheels on Windsor, 2015 Welcome to this special Autumn edition of Making Headway for 2015. It has been a busy time at BIA HB, so we thought we should share our recent news. Our Details Headway House 605 Willowpark Road South Hastings Hawke's Bay 06 878 6875 027 536 6345 [email protected] Facebook: braininjuryhb/ facebook www.braininjuryhb.co.nz Wheels of Windsor—March 8th The sun was shining and the cars were humming at Windsor Park, Hastings at Wheels of Windsor in Hastings. Once again we are very fortunate to have the support of the Hawke’s Bay British and European Car Club. The crowds came to see the cars, and we benefited from a collection and grocery raffle. This year we raised $1120.30 from the collection and $802.50 from the grocery raffle. A big thank you to all those people who volunteered their time collecting, selling raffle tickets and ensuring the event was a great success. Grocery Raffle Congratulations to Shane of Napier for winning our Grocery Raffle. We hope you enjoy your goodies Shane!!! Thank you to Carol and Colin Wilson for organising this successful raffle. www.braininjuryhb.co.nz Making Headway Page 2 Fundraising Event—Garage Sale Community Contacts Emergency 111 Napier Police 831 0700 Hastings Police 873 0500 HB Hospital 878 8109 Work & Income 0800559 009 ACC BIA 0800 101 996 878 6875 CATT 0800 112334 Lifeline 0800 543 354 Alcohol Helpline 0800 543 354 Hastings Health Centre 873 8585 Napier City Medical 24-Hour 8354999 Presbyterian Support 876 2156 The Doctors Hastings 876 8445 The Doctors Napier 835 4696 Mental Health & Addiction Services 878 8109 Advocacy Network Services Trust 8351640 Benefits Advocacy 8340206 Citizens Advice Bureau (Hastings) 8780525 Citizens Advice Bureau (Napier ) 8359664 Information 4 Disability 8350781 Totara Health Hastings 8730101 Totara Health Flaxmere 8739024 Peoples Advocacy Society Inc. 8340206 [email protected] This year we are hosting our annual garage sale on Saturday May 31, at Headway House. We are accepting donations of unwanted or under-used goods to be part of our garage sale—all the proceeds go directly to fund services of BIA HB. Items of interest: Clothing (men’s, women’s and children’s) shoes kitchenware electrical goods (need to be in working order) Toys Furniture Bric a brac Homewares Linen Books Volunteers to help on the day All items can be dropped off at Headway House, 605 Willowpark Road South, Hastings. Please contact the office on 8786875 to make a time for drop off or more information. ________________________________________________________ Bon Voyage! Colin and Carol We wish Colin and Carol Wilson a fantastic 3 month holiday to Europe. We hope you both have a wonderful time and we look forward to hearing about your adventures when you return in late July. The Activity Day clients were spoilt by Carol recently with a delicious lasagne and apple crumble for their lunch—thank you Carol !!!!!!! ________________________________________________________ BIA HB 2015 Wish list *An outdoor gazebo *Outdoor portable chairs *Puzzles and board games *Sewing machine *Rash shirts for our swimming group *Ipad or tablet *Baking mixer/processor *Pottery kiln Help us to raise funds so we can make some of these wishes come true!! www.braininjuryhb.co.nz Making Headway Page 3 Brain Injury HB Inc Who are we? Postal Address: Headway House 605 Willowpark Road South Akina MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTIONS Our Board Chairperson Ian Walton Vice Chairperson Brett Morris Phone: (06) 878 6875 Fax: (06) 878 9786 Email:[email protected] From 1st April 2015 to 31st March 2016 NAME ADDRESS PHONE (Home) _______________ Email _____________ ______________ $ 5.00 ___________ Treasurer/Secretary Herora Brown Family (allows 2 votes) $10.00 ___________ Corporate ___________ Bill Craig Errol Mitchell Coral Aitkins Colin Wilson Cathy Buddo Tom Hartley Dave Cowman Donation Our Staff Manager/Liaison Officer Dairne Withers Finance/Administration/ Fundraising Margaret Perreau Programme & Communications Co-ordinator Angela Mentzer Activity Day Assistants Sharon Blake Sharon Bailey MEMBERSHIP: Individual Mobile $20.00 ___________ (Amounts more than $5 are tax deductible) TOTAL SIGNED $ __________ ________ (Please make cheque payable to: Would you like to receive a newsletter? Brain Injury Association (Hawke’s Bay) Inc.) YES NO PLEASE RETURN TO Brain Injury Association (Hawke’s Bay) Inc, 605 Willowpark Road South, Akina, Hastings 4122 Online Payments, please use surname of business name as reference. HBS Bank – Brain Injury Association – 03 1369 0103346 00 Upcoming events Easter Break Headway House will be closed for Good Friday, April 2nd and Easter Monday, April 6th Family Support & Education Group April 14th, May 5th, June 2nd @ Headway House, 10am Anzac Break Headway House will be closed for Monday, April 27th Swimming Programme Assistant Sharon Blake Garage Sale Fundraiser May 31 @ Headway House www.braininjuryhb.co.nz Making Headway Page 7 Keeping in touch with BIA HB “Like” us on Facebook, search braininjuryhb. Share with your friends and families. Donate to us direct online through Give A Little—all donations are 100% passed on to us. Look for us as braininjuryhb Radio Kidnappers—1431 AM or 104.7 FM Our own show The Brain Injury Association Show was a great success. If you are keen to speak about your brain injury journey with our organisation or independently then please contact Angela on 8786875. Our website—www.braininjuryhb.co.nz—check out our blog, key contacts, volunteering, donations plus all the essential information you might need ____________________________________________________________________________ Supporting BIA (HB) with Bequests, Legacies and Donations A bequest in your Will is a fantastic way for you to express your concern and show your support of the Brain Injury Association (HB) Inc. fulfilling its mission "To ensure a quality of life that maximises potential, choice and independence for people with Acquired Brain Injury, their families/whanau and carers". Bequests are a donation that can continue to provide ongoing support to our service and the community long after the donation has been given. If you would like to know more about how your bequest or legacy could help us in our work, contact our office. Phone 878 6875 or email [email protected] Donations also play an important role in funding the Brain Injury Association (HB) allowing us to provide essential services. You can make a donation at any time by filling out the form below, calling in and seeing us or via online banking. HBS Bank – Brain Injury Association – 03 1369 0103346 00 Please use your name as reference for online banking. I wish to make a donation of $…………………….to support the Brain Injury Association (HB). Name ........................................................................................................................... Address ....................................................................................................................... … ….............................................................................................................................. www.braininjuryhb.co.nz Making Headway Page 5 Newspaper article by Sharon Arnold Hi my name is Sharon and when you look at me I look pretty normal. Plenty of people said this to me when inside I was not. That is the thing with a brain injury, it is hidden. Brain injury effects each of us in different ways. I have had 2 major ones one in 1986 and another in 2002. I am pretty much an out-going person but having a brain injury caused me to fall into depression at various times. I had a headache for years and they varied intensity. That was pretty hard for my husband. Bruce and I have been married for 38 years this year. I am extremely grateful for a lovely kind and encouraging man. Many of my brain injured friends have had their husbands leave them because they are not the same. I am thankful for my faith and I totally believe in miracles. Father God is health to my body and He will heal my injury is my main stay. In my recovery I had a can on my bench that I pasted an eye on to. That was to remind me that I CAN do things. I value my friends at Headway House because we can laugh at the funny things we do or have done. Some of us have little or no speech. It is amazing how we have a great a conversation when there is limited speech. Even now coming up 13 years on some days I lose my speech. Thanks to my cell phone, I can txt message—totally my life saver. I am a charted accountant by profession and my brain injury knocked out the maths part of my brain. It’s not much fun when you have always been excellent at maths. I do know my phone number and my husband’s cell number but not my own cell number. I remember trying to use the computer and I could not remember how to type. Had to learn again. Same with the keyboard. I learnt to swim again after my injury. I got into the pool at my OT’s suggestion and could not work out how to do it. I walked a few lengths and kicked on my back. Then I learnt back stroke, breast stoke and then flutter board. This took 8 months or so swimming 3 times a week. Now I can swim freestyle very well and have been known to do 1500 meters. Headway House runs a great swimming programme on Friday which I really enjoy. My children have been a great support driving me places, checking that I had not burnt the dinner yet again, reminding me to rest and encouraging me. One time on my own, I forgot I was cooking tea. The fire alarm went off. I can’t smell smoke and took little notice. I opened the doors to get the alarm to go off, I then started coughing and noticed the smoke in the lounge. Yes I had to call the fire brigade and an ambulance came. I damaged my facial nerve and jaw. I had no expression on that side of my face for 6 months or so. I could not chew very well either and lived of mush for 9 months was ok for 6 months then back on mush for 6 months. I am currently on mush. I go out to dinner and either take my blender or order something soft. Just as well I have little taste. Life goes on and I need to part of it. I got to do Outward Bound as part of a disability team of people with brain injuries. I found I could run after been told I could not. What a positive amazing programme. I discovered that I could kayak again I got to go through a water rush in the sea. It is so good to paddle you can go so much faster than I could walk. We got to do high ropes way up in the trees. Before my brain injury I was afraid of height not any more. Great to get a positive. Learning to row a cutter was amazing in the Sounds. Yes I did get tired and fell asleep in the drying room. Sleeping sole under a tarp was great. I totally loved the experience even though it wore me out. I have read lots of stories about other peoples brain injuries some have written books. If life gives you lemons you make lemonade. Every body has a story to tell and trust and pray my story will inspire you. www.braininjuryhb.co.nz Thank you to all our generous funders, sponsors, members and other contributors towards our organisation. Our major sponsors are: Napier Cadet Academy Trust Free Community Post Lions Club of Hastings Host Hastings RSA Lioness Club of Havelock North Inc Hastings Napier City Council We greatly appreciate support from the following: Colin & Carol Wilson John Wise Ian Walton Lesley Macdonald Bruce & Sharon Arnold Kay Ward Electrical Ltd Radio Kidnappers Alex Stewart The Walton Family Trust Alma Nepia