Spinal Network News - August 2017

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THE CEO’S COLUMN FINDING FUTURES “$1,000,000!”, she exclaimed. “Almost,” I said, “Just south of it, to be more correct.” “I suppose the government covers most of that?”, she enquired. “Well, they don’t actually cover half of it; in fact, not even a quarter of it. Specifically, 17 percent of our expenses are met by the likes of ACC, the Ministry of Health, and District Health Boards.” The woman was certainly surprised and seemed annoyed this was not the case. It is one year since I became CEO, and I have had numerous conversations just like the one above during that time. It is a common misconception that we are funded substantially by the government. I suppose it is because the folk I speak with know us; place a high value on what we do; and assume our government will cover our costs. Besides, we are a part of the furniture at the two spinal units so it is very easy to view us as part of the DHBs. How someone perceives something affects how they respond to it when called upon for financial assistance. I am working proactively to ensure that individuals and organisations who might consider supporting us are aware of our key income statistics, as this will most certainly change their perception of our need, and perhaps, how they respond to it. If our system is working well, all readers of the Spinal Network News will have received our first ever e-Newsletter in May. It has long been a dream of mine to be able to provide all of the folks who know us with a more regular update on our work. Our legendary patron, Sir Tim Wallis, whom I had the great pleasure of visiting recently, wrote a short introduction in our recent E-Newsletter. Sir Tim has his 80th birthday in his sights and, no doubt, will get there in good shape—after all, he does swim lengths seven days a week! Thank you Sir Tim and Lady Prue, for your ongoing support; we really appreciate it! Another dream of mine was to launch ‘Payroll Giving’. Done. It is very easy and quick to do and, if 500 people gave $2 per week it would raise $50,000. What’s more, with the instant tax rebate, your pay would only be reduced by $1.40. See the ‘Donate Now’ button on our website for more details if you are interested in doing this. On my way back from visiting the Wallis family, I stopped in to see our good friends at Ostler Wines in the Waitaki Valley. Since 2008, through Ostler harvest picks, Jim, Anne, Paul, and the Ostler crew, have raised over $39,000 for Peer Support of patients with a spinal cord impairment (SCI) in NZ! This is an incredibly generous and extraordinary effort and, we felt it was time to recognise and mark that with a special presentation at this year’s harvest. It seemed quite appropriate that a group of young French pickers were assisting with the harvest and witnessed this special moment of appreciation. If you like Pinot Noir, the ‘Caroline’s Pinot Noir’ (of any vintage) will impress, but the 2015 Sir Tim with Hans Wouters, CEO of the NZST 6 |
Hans Wouters presents the “Chalice” to Jim Jerram of Ostler Wines Caroline’s was awarded a Gold Award and Trophy at the International Wine Challenge in London this year. One of the joys of being CEO is, fielding calls like the ones I received recently from Darryl Park, of Bealey’s Speight’s Ale House and The Bog Irish Bar in Christchurch, and from Bryce Dinneen, founder of Wish for Fish in the Bay of Plenty, with almost the same words: “Hi Hans, I want to put on an event and raise some money for you.” Both calls came out of the blue, and both men and their teams were true to their word; put in a lot of hard work, effort, and resources, and raised some much-needed and unexpected funds for us. Gentlemen, thank you so very much for believing in what we believe in, and for reaching out through our organisation to help Kiwis with an SCI find their future. If you would like to raise funds for us, don’t forget this link: www.nzstfun.org.nz because it is more fun when you do an event for a worthy cause. Finally, a quick note to say we are very excited about our first ever National Appeal in September—it’s going to be heaps of fun—more details on page 11. Vehicle accidents; falls; sporting injuries; and illness, are all common causes of spinal cord impairments. In a split second, everything can change: your work situation; your relationships; your health; your pastimes. Our sole purpose is to assist with navigating this life-altering experience and getting you back on track. To all our supporters who make this possible, we simply and sincerely say: thank you! For More info Contact: Speedy Snail Mobility (Mobility Solutions Centre Dunedin) Email: shanon@speedysnailmobility.co.nz www.speedysnailmobility.co.nz Ph 0277271471 | 7
Page 1 and 2: SNN August 2017 Volume 20 Issue 2 I
Page 3 and 4: EDITORIAL GIVING YOUR LIFE A PLAN..
Page 5: THE ULTIMATE DRIVING CONTROLS HERE
Page 9 and 10: As Pullar lay prone saying the Lord
Page 11 and 12: your own luck in life. He has never
Page 13 and 14: down the country seemed to threaten
Page 15 and 16: ActiveReach technology is the ultim
Page 17 and 18: the past with other mishaps. But ob
Page 19 and 20: The approach works at three levels:
Page 21 and 22: Your perfect compact catheter and p
Page 23 and 24: CONNECTING PEOPLE Debz’s Blog I r
Page 25 and 26: What does a TAiQ powerchair have in
Page 27 and 28: on a rope. De Thierry was like a ki
Page 29 and 30: EMOTIONAL AGILITY, BY SUSAN DAVID,
Page 31: Thank you to our FUNDERS & SPONSORS

Spinal Network News - August 2017

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