new zealand …uphill

TASC profile – Dean Brennan

May 20, 2009 on 4:01 am | In TASC profiles | 1 Comment

I’m a pom and immigrated to NZ in 1990. I had a freak accident in 1997 and as a result am a C4 incomplete tetra. Initially I had a hard time dealing with the huge change in my life and certainly being told by a specialist I would just be a “head on a pillow” made accepting that change even more challenging. To say my family played an important part in assisting me to where I am today would be an understatement and we poms are masters of the understatement. It was my family that helped me through the initial period of wanting to “end it all” while in critical care – such a selfish attitude on reflection. And both TASC and the spinal units’ councillor played an important part (another understatement) in dealing with relationship problems and preparing me for the outside world. I didn’t do much physically towards physio in strengthening my arms at the spinal unit and when I left I was driving a chair by chin control. It was only when I moved into a rental property in West Auckland and received regular physio on my arms that I was eventually able to use a hand control.

Before the accident, I was a landscape gardener/contractor as well as a volunteer fire-fighter and had a “busy” lifestyle – another understatement. Initially my post accident plan was to stay landscaping but focusing on design using a computer and 3D software. ACC paid for a computer and Headmaster for a mouse but I found it hard to use the 3D software and lost interest. At this time I was still trying to live the “busy” lifestyle I had before the accident. After nearly 2 years I finally moved into my modified HNZ home in Henderson. In September 2000 I married Eleanor and we are blessed with 2 daughters, Arianna and Destiny. Arianna, from a previous marriage.
In 2001, returning to my gardening “roots”, we decided to landscape the garden at our Henderson home. I designed and supervised and Eleanor, friends, family and carers did (and do) the work. We have 3 feature gardens, a terrace cactus garden, a bromeliad planting and a small terraced kitset water garden matching the colour of the existing rocks. There are around 400 natives’ shrubs and trees. Our garden has subsequently been an award winner (2007 National General Award in Housing New Zealand’s biennial garden competition) and been featured on television programmes.
In May 2001 my interest in IT led me to “have a go” at creating a website specifically to cater for all those in the disability sector. ACC sprang for the cost of upgrading my computer plus 10 hours website tuition. This first project unfortunately became a dead end. In 2004 I became a Christian (more of this later) and was approached by Pam from TASC who asked if I could help with their website, a coincidence (????). Well, it seems one thing does lead to another because I now host 4 websites and am webmaster of 5. TASC has been and continues to be a big part of my journey I am currently on the TASC committee and attend the Mouth Painting classes organised by them.

Finally, a complete change of direction. I became a Christian and was baptised in 2004. Which meant a final goodbye to my old “busy” lifestyle. I believe everything happens for a reason. The Bible says in John 3:20 – 21

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

John 3:20 – 21 NIV