AMPUTEE SUPPORT ASSOCIATION SUNSHINE COAST INC.

P.O. Box 1374, BUDERIM QLD 4556

NEWSLETTER

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Newsletter Editor               With thanks to the Office of Mark McArdle, Member for Caloundra

Contact                                               Debbie Murr                           debbie@amputeesupport.net.au

Website                                             www.amputeesupport.net.au

Patrons:

Fiona Simpson MP                                                                                         5443 7995

Member for Maroochydore

Jarrod Bleijie MP                                                                                            5478 1189

Member for Kawana

Clinics by Appointments Only

Nambour Clinic – 3rd Thursday of each Month For Appointment Telephone: (07) 3636 7286

Currimundi Clinic, Coora Street, Currimundi – 1st and 3rd Thursday of each Month For an Appointment telephone:  3266 1255

Disclaimer: The material contained in this publication is in the nature of general comment only and never purports, nor is intended to be advice on any particular matter.

Readers should not act or rely upon any matter or information contained or implied by this publication without taking appropriate professional advice which relates specifically to their particular circumstances. The Association expressly disclaims all and any liability to any person whether an Association member or note, who acts or fails to act as a consequence of reliance upon the whole or part of the publication.

                                     President’s Report                                       

Here we are in March already, how the year has flown. As we have not held a general meeting since November some of you will not have caught up with happenings at the Association.

We had the Christmas Lunch at the Mooloolaba Bowls Club on 13th December. This was attended by 60 adults and children and once again it was a great day and everyone enjoyed the company. As usual, the Bowls Club provided a wonderful meal and we all agreed that we will be at the same venue for our Christmas in July function.

Our Easter Raffle will be held this month at Kawana Shopping World and all members will be sent two books of tickets in the mail. Hopefully you will support us once again as this is our main source of income for the year. We will also be looking for volunteers to help with the selling of the tickets at the shopping centre. If you will be able to help please let me know so I can make up a roster.

We will be holding our free lunch this month at the North Shore Tavern, 698 David Low Way, Pacific Paradise, on Tuesday 29th March at 12 o’clock and we hope to see many of you there.  If you need a lift please let me know.

Sadly we lost one of our long time members, Bob Brown, in December and our thoughts and prayers went out to his family.  In the last year, six of our members have passed away.

Once again I wish to thank the Executive for the support they gave me throughout 2015 and also to the members because without their support, there would be no Association.

Cliff Hargreaves

Welfare Report

I have not seen any amputees in Rehab in Caloundra in the last few months. However, I did see one in Redcliffe Hospital when we lent her a wheelchair and self-propelled shower chair, as requested by her O.T. It was out of the area we usually cover but they were having difficulty in finding equipment in the holiday period. I also saw four amputees in their homes when we delivered or collected our loan equipment. We also went to Gympie and collected one of our scooters we had loaned to an amputee who had passed away.

As stated in our last report we have been trying to obtain lightweight wheelchairs to loan to amputees until their government one arrives. In many instances their partner was having trouble lifting the wheelchair we loaned them. In January, State Member for Caloundra, Mark McArdle presented us with two lightweight wheelchairs complete with stump supports, anti-tip wheels and cushions. This was very much appreciated and we thank Mark sincerely for his donation. We will endeavour to get a few more lightweight wheelchairs and replace our older ones.

Cliff

 Secretary’s  Report

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas lunch at the Mooloolaba Bowls Club.

The meal was delicious, apart from some of you not enjoying the undercooked cauliflower.

Christmas came and went very quickly. I enjoyed a bit of time out after a busy end of year.

In October I filled out a sponsorship form at Caloundra RSL. I’m very happy to let you all know we were successful in receiving $750 for a lightweight wheelchair. Their generous sponsorship is very much appreciated.

THANKYOU CALOUNDRA RSL!

I’ll be busy stapling Easter raffle tickets very soon. We hope you will be able to support us by buying or selling the tickets you receive with your newsletter. Tickets are still 6 for $5. This is our main fundraising for the year. Please let me know if you require more tickets, phone or text 0416 042 735.

To pay by direct deposit, please use your name as a reference. Bank details: Amputee Support Association Sunshine Coast Inc.

BSB: 084 756  Account: 631 195 916

The Easter raffle tickets are being sold at Kawana Shoppingworld 10th – 12th March and 22nd – 24th March. Cliff would love to hear from you (phone 5493 4346) if you are available for a few hours from 9am to 5.30pm.

The raffle will be drawn at Kawana Shoppingworld, Thursday 24th March at 5.30 pm.

I’m looking forward to seeing you at our meetings and functions this year. Regards, Debbie

Upcoming Events

ü  EASTER RAFFLE at Kawana Shoppingworld

Tickets to be sold 10th, 11th, 12th March and 22nd, 23rd, 24th March from

9am to 5.30pm each day. Please let Cliff know if you are available, phone 5493 4346

ü  General Meeting Tuesday 15th March 10am at Education Centre, Hibiscus Retirement Resort, Lakehead Drive, Chancellor Park. Stay for a cuppa and a chat

ü  Free lunch at The North Shore Tavern Tuesday 29th March 12 noon 698 David Low Way, Pacific Paradise for members and their driver

ü  General Meeting Tuesday 19th April 10am at Education Centre, Hibiscus Retirement Resort, Lakehead Drive, Chancellor Park. Stay for a cuppa and a chat

ü  General Meeting Tuesday 17th May 10am at Education Centre, Hibiscus Retirement Resort, Lakehead Drive, Chancellor Park. Stay for a cuppa and a chat

News

Source:

Coast amputees given welcome boost with wheelchair donation

15th Jan 2016 3:53 PM

CALOUNDRA MP and Shadow Health Minister Mark McArdle has offered a helping hand to those helping others. Mr McArdle delivered two new, lightweight wheelchairs and support stumps worth $1800 to the tireless Cliff Hargreaves, president of the Sunshine Coast Amputee Support Association, in a bid to help ease the burden on Coast amputees and their partners.

“The biggest problem we’ve had with the wheelchairs is the partners and carers can’t lift them,” Mr Hargreaves said.

Presented today at the Association’s Enterprise Street Self Storage shed at Caloundra, a site initially offered to the group free-of-charge, Mr McArdle said the wheelchairs were thanks to the 86-year-old Mr Hargreaves, who was relentless in his quest to help others.

“For nearly 20 years Cliff has undertaken hospital visits from Caboolture to Gympie to provide much-needed assistance to new and existing amputees and their families,” Mr McArdle said.

“That’s a phenomenal effort and I think I speak on behalf of all the Coast when I say we cannot thank him enough.”

Enterprise Street Self Storage Caloundra owner Martin Butler said many would not realise the amount of work put in by Mr Hargreaves behind the scenes.

“We’re only too happy to continue our partnership with the Association long-term,” he said.

Thanks for joining us at our Christmas party

News                                                                         

Source: Canberra Times

Losing a limb to tackling Kokoda: Nathan Whittington finishes ruthless trail

Tackling the historic Kokoda trail can mean many things to different people: honouring those who served in ruthless terrain, exploring a new country, challenging yourself.

Nathan Whittington also felt he had something to prove. The 23-year-old, who lost his right foot in a freak water-

skiing accident five years ago, has just returned from walking the gruelling track on a prosthetic leg.

Private Whittington was just 18 years old when on November 27, 2010, his foot was ripped off in Townsville’s Ross River. He’d joined the army less than a year earlier.

The teenager, originally from Goulburn, was acting as spotter on the jet ski, liaising between the driver and the person skiing behind the boat, when a series of unfortunate events unfolded.

Private Whittington turned around to let the driver know a fellow skier had fallen into the water as a passing boat caused a wake that threw the teenager into the river.

“I hit the water and sort of rolled and the tow rope pretty much wrapped just below my right ankle. I was being pulled under water,” he said.

“While this is happening the rope pretty much burnt through everything just below my right ankle bone…I was pretty lucky that my foot was pulled off because I was drowning at the time.”

Private Whittington underwent an elective amputation, one hand’s width below his knee, so he could access a wider range of prosthetics and the best chance of remaining active.

Private Whittington, who now hopes to become a personal training instructor, hasn’t let his physical disability claim his active lifestyle.

“My great grandfather served in [Papua New Guinea] and has seen a bit of action so obviously, there’s that connection there,” he said.

“I just wanted to go back and see the terrain they had to fight in, trying to imagine it all. I wanted to show [that] even though someone might have some form of disability… not to put restrictions on anyone.”

Vale Bob Brown 05/07/1947 – 15/12/2015

Robert John Brown “Bob” was born in Warrigal in July 1947, the third child of Arthur and Queenie, joining his elder siblings Ronda and Douglas and followed by his younger brothers Jeffrey, Alan, Kevin and Michael. He went to school at St Josephs and then Christian Brothers in Warrigal and he loved his sport and playing football, but it was cycling that was his passion. He would continue to love it throughout his life and it was not unexpected that cycling would feature significantly in his life in a number of ways. The first of course was the accident when he was 14 years old, during a bike

race he was hit by a car. Physically it left him without one of his legs, amputated above the knee and although he resisted being recognised as disabled in any way throughout most of his life, it limited some activities that he could do and most importantly the sport that was one of his passions.

After the accident he turned to other interests, in particular photography. He was an avid enthusiast in his teens and went to work professionally as a photographer at the government aircraft factories in Melbourne after leaving school. While at the aircraft factories, in his spare time, he had a job as a skate hire attendant at the St Moritz Ice Skating Rink and it was there that he met his future wife Julia and they were married on 14th December 1968. Following the wedding they departed on their honeymoon-working holiday in London where they lived for the better part of a year.

They had quite a lot of adventures together, one of the biggest was when they moved from Melbourne to settle in Caloundra in 1981. A few years after the move Bob set up a bike shop in Caloundra which became a great little business and one he really loved. However, a few years later he sold the bike shop and set up a business New Colour Process Screen Printing and Computers Signs and for the next 27 years he was well known for his signs around the area.

He got on well with people and would go out of his way to help others, like fundraising events for Lions and also in everyday life. He was a great supporter of the Amputee Support Association on the Sunshine Coast. If a sign was needed for a function Bob would produce it without hesitation and he and Julia never missed any of our major events.

After battling for so long, overcoming so much difficulty and living with pain for a lot of his life with his amputation and some trips and falls in recent years, it seemed even more unfair that what took him in the end was cancer. He took it all in his stride with a shrug and “oh well, it is what it is”.

He died peacefully and with dignity, no longer in pain and we remember him as a great friend who will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

Feedback

Hi, my name is Tony and I was lucky enough to trial a flex run running blade from Ossur for a fortnight. I was using it with a prototype semi rigid socket design made by Dewet and Steve at SOS.

From the minute I put the leg on I felt like running and I did. The feeling of the flex run foot propelling you forward is amazing, way more propulsion then your real leg. I ventured out to the local football oval and let loose.

The sensation of actually jogging and running if only for short distances after 8 years was euphoric. I can only liken it to the feeling I assume a kangaroo feels when hopping/leaping. I slowly worked up to a distance of 1-2kms, stopping and starting along the way. The only thing holding me back was the rest of my body that was not used to that sort of effort in a long time.

Here are a few photos on the first day I ventured outside on the foot. Was a wonderful experience that all amputees should feel. Thanks to Ossur for the trial

and Dewet and Steve at Sunshine Orthopedic Services(SOS) for their quest for perfection on all amputee’s.

Just for laughs

It has been 50 years since the decimal currency was introduced on Feb 14, 1966. Here’s a jingle courtesy of blogger Michelle J Morgan, to the tune Click go the Shears

In come the dollars and in come the cents

To replace the pounds and the shillings and the pence. Be prepared folks when the coins begin to mix

On the 14th February 1966.

Clink go the cents folks

Clink, clink, blink. Changeover day is closer than you think. Learn the value of the coins and the way that they appear

And things will be much smoother when the decimal point is here.

In come the dollars and in come the cents

To replace the pounds and the shillings and the pence. Be prepared folks when the coins begin to mix

On the 14th February 1966.0