Nor'West News: May 09, 2017

8
Tuesday May 9 2017
Latest Christchurch news at www.
Your Local Views
Dealing with loss and grief
.kiwi
NOR’WEST NEWS
Canterbury
University
student
Heather
McMillan talks
about her
experiences
dealing with grief at a
young age
When I was 16 my Mum
passed away from cancer – this
is a sentence that I still get anxious
saying or typing even four
years later.
It’s the point in a conversation
that will cut all upbeat to the
ground.
I generally just tell people and
then reassure them that not
knowing what to say is normal.
From the age of 16 I’ve had to
teach myself how to cope with
MEMORY
LANE:
Heather
McMillan
is raising
money for
CanTeen
after losing
her mother
to cancer.
She is
pictured
here as a
child with
her mother.
dealing with grief.
With the sadness of it, the
spontaneity of it and the knowing
it’s something I have to face
every day.
Dealing with grief at any age
is horrible, but as a teenager and
young person it has been especially
hard.
Thankfully, though, along the
way I’ve gained the help from
CanTeen through their offspring
group and youth workers.
MATT DOOCEY
MP FOR WAIMAKARIRI
I have been given so many opportunities
to meet other youth
who are affected by cancer.
To most people CanTeen is
seen as a resource to patients but
it is so much more then that and
I am so lucky to have them.
They have been the introducer
of so many other young people
who are going through the
same or similar situations with
cancer.
Having the release of having
people who can relate to
what you are going through as
a young person is more then
incredible.
It can make the most overwhelming
of days feel better
by having people who actually
understand what you are going
through.
CanTeen has become such
a big part of my life that I am
shaving my head to raise funds
and give back to the Canterbury
branch.
My main purpose for this
head shave is to raise awareness
about what CanTeen do and to
be able to open up about my own
experiences dealing with grief.
•If you want to donate to
Heather’s shave on May
23 visit: https://givealittle.
co.nz/fundraiser/aheadshavetoremember
FLAME FILES
Keep cooking under
control in the kitchen
• Mark Thomas, fire risk
management officer
I KNOW I’ve repeated the advice
about looking when cooking
dozens of times over the years
and it looks very much like it’s
never going to cease completely.
But every now and then I
despair a bit.
Like on Wednesday when
within three-and-a-half-hours
fire trucks responded to three
different cooking incidents.
A house completely filled with
smoke from a forgotten pie in
the microwave in Sockburn was
followed by a pot on the stove,
again filling the house in Kotare
St and a further incident in
Bryndwr where smoke inhalation
was the result for the elderly
occupants.
Any of these could have been
much worse.
A life or a house gone.
But all of them were preventable.
Stay in the kitchen.
The smell of burning in your
home can be frightening for
anyone.
More so if you’re blind.
Proudly NZ owned and
operated by cost caring women
The occupant of a house in
Addington thankfully did the
exact right thing, again on
Wednesday, by phoning 111
and having the local crew there
within minutes.
Turned out to be a tea towel
smouldering on an element.
The potential here was a bit
frightening.
I’ve not mentioned arson here
for a long time.
It’s still occurring but the
removal of most of the empty
houses in the red zone has made
it less visible or newsworthy.
A drum of diesel spread along
the road in the early hours last
Sunday in Wigram was lit and
left by whatever morons thought
it was clever.
They’re still out there. As stupid
and dangerous as ever.
WE SERVICE
WHAT WE SELL
CHAT WITH MATT
This Thursday, 18 May, I hope
to meet you at my Keeping
Connected Evening Meeting at the
Belfast Rugby Club from 7.30pm
to 8.30pm. I am holding these
meetings all over the electorate
to be accessible outside business
hours. Nothing beats connecting
face to face and I’m enjoying these
lively discussions.
Papanui High School students
impressed me with their
innovative product ideas during
their school’s recent BP Business
Challenge. I enjoyed being part
of the judging panel. Students
are mentored by business leaders
and then present their ideas. Well
done to Papanui High for fostering
our young business leaders of the
future.
Funded by Parliamentary Service and authorised by
Matt Doocey MP, 130A Percival St, Rangiora.
A $2 billion package to deliver pay
increases to those working in aged
and disability residential care, and
home and community support
services is good news for local
families. I visit all our rest homes
around the electorate and I know
the value of what these workers
do in helping the most vulnerable
in our communities.
Increased investment in policing
will deliver 70 more police staff
for Canterbury. We’ve seen our
regional population grow and
can expect further growth. I
meet regularly with our local
hardworking police men and
women and this investment
will also equip them with new
resources and tools.
Dignity with Sincerity
Funeral Services
78 Brisbane St, Waltham
Ph. 03 365 5055
info@dignitywithsincerity.co.nz
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