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