Otago Branch Newsletter

Otago
Branch
Newsletter
October – December
2007
P.O Box 2542
Dunedin
heartchildrenotago@hotmail.com
Hello Everyone. Welcome to all our new
families, we look forward to meeting you all.
This is the last edition of the branch
newsletter for 2007 and as usual, we have
lots to tell you. Here goes….
Firstly we would like to say a very big
Once again to Otago Road Services for
taking us up to Timaru.
In this edition
Conference report
Recipe
Meeting Dates
Santa parade
Coffee Mornings
Podiatrists
Dental work
Library
Pen Man
Merchandise
Supper Evening
Social Worker
Body Piercings
Travel Fund
Survival packs
Camp Brave Heart
Bus trip Report
Birthdays
Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge
Play Dough Recipe
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon oil
2 Tablespoons crème of tarter
½ cup salt
1 cup water
Few drops food colour
Combine all ingredients in a pot and
stir over minimum heat with a wooden
spoon until pliable. Takes about
20mins. Store in a plastic bag. This will
last for months, even years!
COMMITTEE
Chairperson
Suzanne Crosado.................... 455 0802
Secretary
Theresa Smith......................... 455 2643
Family Support
Bernadette Milburn ............... 4764986
Treasurer
Katrina Kerr-Bell................... 456 3060

HEART CHILDREN CONFERENCE
2007
Heart Children New Zealand holds a conference
every two years. This year it was held in
Auckland, and after much deliberation, I decided
to attend. My indecisiveness was caused due to
thinking that the conference was meant for
committee members to attend, and the most
support we as a family had needed from Heart
Children, was upon diagnosis and sorting
corrective surgery for our daughter Grace. This
event now being eight years ago, I considered
conference to not ultimately not really apply to us.
How wrong I was. Firstly, the conference is
completely geared up for parents and even
extended families of heart children. Friday night
comprised of a very entertaining speaker, Mr
Andrew Fiu who is the author of a very successful
booked titled “Purple Heart”. He entertained
everyone with a brief recollection of some of his
life experiences of being a heart child and dealing
with rheumatic fever. Saturday was the main
information day, with dual seminars running
throughout the day. You decided which topic
interested you most, with each topic taking around
1 - 1 ½ hours. Topics covered included things like
heart formation, dental care, scans, and dealing
with stress. One very interesting seminar was on
being a adult heart children and transitioning from
parents making medical decisions to health
choices being made by the adult heart child, and
how to deal with some of life’s issues like alcohol,
and for the females, pregnancy. These issues are
further down the track for all of us and conference
did exceptionally well to make as much
information as possible available to the attending
families. As there is a growing population of adult
heart children, support groups are currently trying
to be established. Saturday night was a very lively
evening with a dinner and dance with a special
appearance from Elvis to entertain us all. Sunday
concluded with medical updates from the
paediatric cardiologists, and the huge progress
which has been made in techniques and survival
rates over the past ten years is nothing short of
incredible. So with information overload, we all
headed homeward bound by Sunday lunch time.
Having shared this experience with a lot of very
friendly strangers on Friday evening, we departed
as friends by Sunday.
The organization by Heart Children New Zealand
to hold this event is absolutely phenomenal. From
travel arrangements, accommodation, copious
quantities of fabulous food, speakers, specialists,
nursing staff and health professionals, it is an
event well worth supporting. So if you are ever
contacted in the future by one of the committee
members and offered to attend a conference, don’t
deliberate. Conference is entirely for you, and
without a doubt you will enjoy the experience.
Bronny Finnerty
P.S you don’t have to wait to be asked!
Coffee Mornings
Friday November 2 nd
Friday December 7 th
Come and join us for fine food and great
company in a child friendly environment.
We meet at 5 Wray St in Brockville
9.30am-11.30am
Mark these dates on your calendar
Look forward to seeing you there

Birthday Greetings
October
Juan Garcia
Zachariah Hewlett
Rebeka Dobson
Bryce Neaves
Caleb Robinson
Rachel Mc Indoe-Baker
Elijah Hewlett
Elizabeth Milburn
November
Robin Butler
Courtney Drinkwater
Joshua Hosking
Dylan Pettinger
Jacob Stevenson
Teea Francis
Amber Hosking
Adam Neaves
Keeley Stewart
Regan Martin
Jessica Hellyer
Kristina Merritt
Jordan Robins
Mickayla Drinkwater
Patrick Beamish
December
Laura Curtin
Tegan Robins
Joshua Holland
Ethan Wilson
Alexander Merritt
Bryleigh Webb- McLeod
Straun Stringer-Wright
Best Wishes to you all.
Santa Parade
Sunday December 2 nd.
This year we propose to put a float in
the annual Dunedin Christmas Parade.
We have the
use of a couple
of large
American cars
to fill up with
your children!
This will be a
great opportunity to get some public
exposure for Heart Children. We would
like an expression of interest to
participate. Some people will be
required to walk as well and hand out
lollies etc. The parade is scheduled to
start at 3pm. After the parade we plan
to have a B.B.Q at the Woodhaugh
Gardens. This will be our last social
event for the year. We hope to see as
many of you there as possible.
Please ring a committee member or
email us
heartchildrenotago@hotmail.com
Dental Care.
Your Heart Child may need antibiotic
cover for dental work. Ask your
cardiologist or pediatrician if you are
not sure.
Library
Library
We We have have a a small small small library library with with topical topical topical books
books
for for Hea Heart Hea rt Children, available available at Coffee
Mornings
Mornings.
Mornings
We We also also have have a a new new Heart Heart Children Children book book just
just
published published published this this this year. year. It It is is an an antidotal antidotal account
account
of of living living with with a a Heart Heart Heart Child. Child. This This book book is is very
very
good good read. read. If you would would like a copy or if you you
would would like like to to view view the the library library then then ring
ring
Bernadette.
Bernadette.

Attention – If you get a Child Disability
Allowance for your child you may be entitled to
get up to 50 hours subsidized child care for all
your children. (Conditions do apply).
Check out the website below or ring WINZ on
0800 559 009 to see your entitlements and how
to apply. www.workandincome.govt.nz/getassistance/extra-help/index.html
If you don’t get a Child Disability Allowance for
your child ask your doctor if you should be
getting one. Every little bit helps
WINZ INFORMATION
Survival Packs
The Otago branch of
Heart Children provides
survival packs for those
families who go to
Auckland for surgery. We
have encountered some
glitches in the mail room
up there with some parcels being
returned to us. In order to overcome
this, we have a couple of options we
can put in place. Firstly, when you
know you are going, let Bernadette
know and we can get one to you before
you leave or secondly we can keep
some up at head office and a staff
member can deliver them to you on the
ward. Once again you need to let us
know that you are going, or there, so
we can support you.
Travel Plans
Speaking of which… If you
do get called up to
Auckland then you need to
contact Michelle Derritt
the Paediatric Social
Worker here in Dunedin.
Michelle will organize your
travel and book you into Ronald Mc Donald
House.
Phone 474 0999
Extension 8608
Podiatrists footing the Bill
Remember if you are a member of Heart Children N.Z Inc your
heart child is entitled to free foot care at the following local
podiatrists.
Richard Van Plateringen
Dunedin Podiatry
259 King Edward St
South Dunedin
Ph 455 0290
Sharon Brenton
City Podiatry
19 St Andrew St
Dunedin
Ph 477 6507
This is thanks to a company called Foot Science International
Limited.
Travel Fund
We the Otago Branch have a
travel fund to assist families with their travel
when the ODHB can’t come to the
party. If you have any questions
concerning this then give Suzanne a
ring or email us at
heartchildrenotago@hotmail.com
Conditions apply.
Merchandise
Attached to the newsletter is a merchandise
form from Heart Children New Zealand. There
are some great ideas
for Christmas gifts.
The purchase of these
items would help to
promote the profile of
the organization in
our community.
Consider this seriously and help to get our
logo recognized.
Pen Man
The Pen Man will be
selling pens and
raising money on
our behalf.
If you see him down
town, please support
him.

Wattyl Lake Taupo Cycle
Challenge
24 th November 2007
This is an extremely well run event which is held
every year in Taupo, thousands participate. The
circumference of the lake is 160km and teams of
four people cycle 40kms each. Some individuals
choose to do the full distance themselves. There is
even a small insane group who do the circuit four
times would you believe! This year will mark the
31 st year of the race. Last year the organizers signed
up Heart Children New Zealand as the major
recipient of the profits for the next ten years. To
mark this event, last year 30 Heart Children cycled
the last 5km with one of our patrons Sir Richard
Hadley and this year 31 children aged between 5
and 12 will ride the last 5km. You can sponsor these
children by visiting the website
www.heartchildren.org.nz
Now that you know about it….next year YOU could
join in the fun. The plan is to train up and develop
calices on a certain part of you anatomy put a team
together get sponsored by you friends and family
and work colleagues and head up the road. If you
look on the web site it shows you how to set up
sponsorship. You may even like to think about
having your child do the last part. Keep an eye out
in the media, there should be some coverage.
Meeting Dates
All meetings are held on
the first Tuesday of the
Month
6 th November
4 th December
7.30pm- 9.00pm
13 Cullen St
South Dunedin
Ph Theresa 455 2643
You are welcome to join
this small and cheerful
committee.
$15 per year
Is all it costs to become a
member of Heart Children
New Zealand Inc. If you are
not a member and would
like to be then let
Bernadette know or ring
Head Office (09) 377- 9950.
Body Piercing &
Tattoos for Heart
Children
This is a very
BAD IDEA.
Consult your doctor or
cardiologist to find out
why before you go and
do this to yourself.
There is a huge risk of
infection, things can get
really nasty.

Timaru Trip Report.
On maybe the coldest morning in
September, we were dragged out of bed
at 7:30 (On a Saturday! Haven’t people
heard of sleep-ins) to go to the Heart
Children trip to Timaru. We left Green
Island around 8:45 then headed to Kaikorai Valley for a pick up and
then on our way out of Dunedin we picked a family up from Pine Hill. So
we left for Timaru with 4 sleepy families. We played car cricket and
some people just stared out the window aimlessly wishing they could
still be in their nice warm bed at home. But after 3 ½ boring hours we finally arrived in
Timaru. The younger kids headed straight for the train as the older people came off a little
slower. Almost straight after we got there they fired up the
barbeque and we had lunch and met the Timaru people. Then
we played a round of 18 hole mini golf and had a few rides on
the train then it was time to pile back onto the bus and head
for home. We played more car cricket and thought about
sleeping (like that was going to happen). Then we stopped in
Hamden for a huge ice cream and Suzanne tried to motivate
us to walk around the block I think they got halfway. We got
back on the bus and arrived home just after 7. It was a fun day that everyone who attended
enjoyed.
Kirsty Sutherland
R.S.V.P
Bernadette Milburn
Ph 476 4986
heartchildrenotago@hotmail.com
You are invited to a
Supper Evening
Special guest Nigel Wilson
Come along for an informal social evening with other parents
Supper provided
Upstairs at the Community House Moray Place
Sunday 9 th December 7-10pm