SNN_July 2021 Issue_web low res

SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 17
Woman’s Best Friend
Di and Floyd—the dynamic duo leave the Auckland Spinal
Rehabilitation Unit (ASRU)
Di, you have been employed at ASRU for many years,
so what are some of your memories of your time there?
I was employed as an Occupational Therapy Assistant at
ASRU 22 years ago. Quite an achievement for a country
girl from Tokoroa—coming up to the big smoke to work in
Otara. I was met by a barefooted male physiotherapist
who became the person to greet me each morning on my
arrival at work with fresh plunger coffee to start my day.
The staff were very devoted to their work, and throughout
the years, I have realised the staff were the “glue people”
who held the unit together with their commitment and
experience, and I have always felt very proud to be part of
such an amazing team. My fondest memories are
definitely around the patients—to see how I have been
able to help them in their rehabilitation and sometimes
make a difference to how they move forward in their
journey after their injury. I was always amazed and
humbled when they would seek me out when they came
back to the unit, just to say thank you and show me what
they had achieved.
What did you enjoy about your work in
Occupational Therapy?
Di and Floyd have been mainstays at the ASRU.
March 1 this year marked the end of an era.
Diane (Di) Cottle and her dog Floyd had their
final day at the Auckland Spinal
Rehabilitation Unit (ASRU).
For the past 22 years, Di has been an integral part of the
ASRU rehabilitation team. She would often take the
patients for cooking lessons, for hand therapy and on
community outings, and she had a talent for
demonstrating wheelchair skills. Floyd has been at the
ASRU for the past 10 years and he has made a huge
difference to patients’ morale. It was an emotional
farewell. We sat down with Di to reflect on a lifetime of
service of helping others and her great mate Floyd.
Working as an Occupational Therapy Assistant is a very
satisfying job that is full of a variety of duties, so no day is
the same. The job is busy and sometimes quite taxing,
both emotionally and physically, but very gratifying.
Knowing you can contribute to the patient’s journey and
know you are not alone in delivering the service as you
are working alongside a committed and professional
team. The unit has been ever changing throughout the
years, and I think the biggest challenge is to not be
resistant to change.
What advice do you offer to others who work with
people who have disabilities?
I have learnt so much and gained so much experience
working at the unit. My advice to others working with
people with disabilities is to remind their patients or
clients that the only thing that has changed about them is
their injury. It is not what happens to you but what you do
about it. Always press forward and make the changes
necessary to keep moving forward.
It must be with mixed emotions retiring after so
many years at ASRU, is it hard to see it all come to
an end?
The decision to retire did not come easily. It took me a few
years to make the decision and then I kept changing my
mind, until I finally submitted my resignation and then
there was no turning back. Retirement has been very
hectic so far as I decided to sell my home in Auckland and