new zealand ...uphill » TASC profiles

TASC profile – Dean Brennan

Vaughan Rowsell — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:01:57 +0000

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

TASC profile – Rodney Bell

Vaughan Rowsell — Wed, 13 May 2009 07:00:41 +0000

Rodney Bell

I was born and grew up in Te Kuiti. 19 years ago at the age of 19 I obtained my disability as result of a motorbike accident and am now paralysed below the chest and use a wheelchair for mobility.

I have set my life around dance. Dance has been my passion for 14 years and with that experience I have earned the opportunity of employment based in San Francisco, California, USA, dancing for AXIS, one of the world’s leading Mixed Ability Dance Groups, redefining Dance. I moved to the USA in 4th July 2007. The contract is for 2 years but will be reviewed annually and once completed I will return eager for opportunities to share my growth and development with other dancers with or without disabilities working within New Zealand. The Company tours both within the USA and internationally.

As I also teach dance in New Zealand to schools both with and without disabilities and I will be teaching also in the USA. It is my hope that the disabled peoples of the future can see that my passion and drive is reachable, and that as young disabled artists they will grow and develop and they will be the future of not only dance but also disability representation for all social, recreational and sports expression within Aotearoa.

Arohanui
Rodney Bell

Ngati Maniapoto
Foot note – Rodney will be featured on TV1s Attitude program on Sunday May 17th at 10am.

A very special TASC profile – Pam Fergusson

Vaughan Rowsell — Sun, 10 May 2009 06:51:58 +0000

Pam Fergusson is vice-president of TASC. She brings with her over 25 years of experience working with the buddy system, as well as many community groups. Injured as a young lady Pam learned that she had to adjust quickly in order to get the things that she wanted in life. She is one of those rare people that looks for the positive in a situation and moves on from there. Pam became a T7/8 Paraplegic in 1965. She was later to marry and has raised three very successful boys.

I find the buddying of newly injured spinal patients very worthwhile and I find it inspiring to see how people come to terms with their level of disability during their stay here at the unit.

That is her TASC profile she gave me to put online in our series of profiles of people within TASC and those they help.

Okay, here is my version.

Pam Fergusson is my mum. She brings with he over 40 years experience at being a mum raising three boys, all of those years in wheel chair, and the vast majority of them as a solo parent. We have never known our mum any other way, our mum came with wheels when the other kids at school had mums that walked. That was cool by us and we never thought anything of it. In fact we often brought friends home to play and they would ask “Did you know your mums in a wheelchair”. No we never really noticed.

Mum has always given all of her time helping out others, whether they are other in chairs through her work at TASC and before that visiting the spinal unit regularly to talk and help patients who were struggling to come to terms with their new lives in wheel chairs. But also helping friends, family and a multitude of other people who she didn’t know but she knew needed a hand. That’s what my mum does. She helps others who need a hand, always, always seeing the positive side of life and inspiring those she helps to do the same.

My ride up New Zealand is in part a tribute to my mum. I will ride a couple of thousand kilometres on wheels which is nothing, absolutely nothing compared with how far she has wheeled in 45 years. I wanted to do something to celebrate her 45 years in a chair, and do what she does, inspire others to get out there and do things they thought were impossible for them to do. When I get to a hill and I feel like I just can’t do it, or I get tired 30kms before my destination, or its raining or cold, I think about all the things in life that were too hard for mum to do, but she went and did them anyway. With always the warmest smile you have ever seen, my mum has inspired so many people to face the impossible and just do it anyway. That makes it really easy to keep my pedals turning.

Happy Mothers Day mum. I love you and the impossible things you do.

TASC profile – Murray Cohen

Vaughan Rowsell — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:00:56 +0000

Here is the first of a few profiles I will be putting up on people involved with TASC and who TASC has helped out. They are all super stars!

Murray Cohen

My name is Murray Cohen, I am 57 years of age and I have been paralysed from the neck down for the last 20 years, after a swimming accident, diving into my own private swimming pool. The date of my accident was Christmas Day 1988. I was in traction, on my back for 6 weeks and went home after 6 months of rehab at the Auckland Spinal Unit, to my family home in Mangere Bridge. I was introduced to a computer and learned to use sticks for typing. I finished my Quarry Manager’s Diploma and did 2 basic computer programming courses but all else was self taught.

While newly injured, Grant Sharman, who is now one of the senior mouth artists in New Zealand, suggested my taking up art, namely painting with my mouth. Having been a quarry manager before my accident, I decided to persist with computers, with the ambition of getting employment back in the quarry industry. This I achieved and have been back at my old quarry (12 to 20 hours per week) as an office clerk, mainly putting my previous knowledge to paper. I have now been associated with Winstone’s Puketutu Quarry for 28 years. This will end however when production ends in May/June this year.

Through my involvement with TASC (The Association for Spinal Concerns) I have had contact with many artists, especially Wayne Te Rangi who is also on TASC’s committee. In 2003, Wayne was generous enough to act as our art tutor for classes at the spinal unit. It inspired me to try mouth painting and I found I had a skill that I had never dreamed of. What’s more, I really enjoy it. Since then I have continued the paint mostly landscapes, some flowers or still life.

I was accepted for a scholarship by MFPA in September 2004. Since then I have joined the local Mangere Bridge Art group, for weekly gatherings and employ a professional tutor for one on one lessons. Soon my association with Winstone Aggs will end and then I can dedicate most of my time to painting, as long as my health holds up.

I lead quite a full life, working three afternoons at Winstone’s, volunteering two afternoons per week at the Auckland spinal unit, tutoring art, including Mouth Painting, computers, and teach Dragon NaturallySpeaking.
Art is now my way of expressing myself and I hope others enjoy my paintings.

Murray Cohen