SNN_Dec 2021 Issue_web low res

December 2021 

Volume 24 / Issue 3 

SNNSpinal Network News 

“IT’S AN EXCITING 

OPPORTUNITY” HANS 

WOUTERS ON PEER SUPPORT 

HAMISH RAMSDEN 

SHARES HIS LIVED 

EXPERIENCE 

MIKE FRANKLIN—HIS 

INSPIRING STORY 

A ground-breaking time 

for the SCI community 

Peer and 

Whānau 

Support Goes 

Nationwide

NEW ZEALAND SPINAL TRUST 2 

Contents 

3 

4 

7 

10 

13 

15 

18 

The Power of Encouragement 

Editorial 

Supporting Positive Futures 

Hans Wouters—CEO NZ Spinal Trust 

A Huge Funding Boost 

Peer and Whānau Support to go nationwide 

Helping Others with SCI 

Lee Taniwha’s remarkable story 

An Unbreakable Bond 

The Glentworth family on Peer and Whānau Support 

Making His Way Out of the Rough 

Andrew Woo on disabled golf 

The Beauty of Bequests 

Hans Wouters 

22 

24 

26 

29 

31 

32 

34 

Teina Boyd 

20 35 

Telling it like it is 

Flying High at Highlands Park 

Brett Ladbrook 

A Heart-warming Writing Debut 

Mike Franklin 

A Lifetime of Making a Difference 

Ben Lucas 

“That’s a Good Question” 

Hamish Ramsden 

Welcome Back! 

Hamish Ramsden returns as a columnist 

Resource Centre 

New Additions 

Home is Where the Heart is 

Josh Caldwell on Accessible Housing 

Funders and Sponsors 

EDITORIAL TEAM 

Peter Thornton 

Hi my name is Peter Thornton, I am so proud 

to be the editor of this great magazine. I 

believe it is a publication that has the power to 

change lives. 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 


Dr Bernadette Cassidy 

Teina Boyd 


Su Marshall 

Hans Wouters 

Mike Franklin 

Josh Caldwell 


Mark and Jayden Glentworth 

Bernadette Cassidy 

Kia ora, my name is Bernadette Cassidy, this 

issue is full of great stories about living life 

with an SCI! 

Patrons of the New 

Zealand Spinal Trust, 

Sir Tim Wallis (left) and 

Trevor Harrison (right). 

Introducing new team members: 

Hans Wouters (left) and 

Su Marshall (right). 

THANKS FOR THE IMAGES 

Shane Wenzlick 

Teina Boyd 

Ben Lucas 


SPINAL NETWORK NEWS is 

published by the NZ Spinal Trust 

Send your contributions to: 

The Editor SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 

c/- New Zealand Spinal Trust, Private 

Bag 4708, Christchurch 8140 

Tel: (03) 383 9484 

Email: 

peter.thornton@nzspinaltrust.org.nz 

Web: 

www.nzspinaltrust.org.nz 

Lee Taniwha 

Mike Franklin 

Josh Caldwell 


Copy Proofing: Bernadette Cassidy 

and Su Marshall. 

Cover Photo: Happy Days – Lee 

Taniwha knows the value of Peer and 

Whānau Support. Photo Credit: Shane 

Wenzlick. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed 

in SPINAL NETWORK NEWS are 

those of its contributors. They do not 

necessarily represent the opinion 

of the members of the Editorial 

Committee or the policies of the New 

Zealand Spinal Trust.

SPINAL NETWORK NEWS 3 

A ‘This is Your 

Life’ experience 


Editorial 

The NZST team are more than a team. We are whānau. NZ Spinal Trust Team. 

This time last year I attended a NZ Spinal 

Trust Culture Club day at the Christchurch 

Golf Club, and it’s not an overstatement to say 

it’s a day I’ll never forget. 

I had set my alarm for 7am with the intention of getting up 

for a run. Instead, I wake at 6.15am to a flurry of text 

messages and I knew something is up. 

My wife and I had been trying for a few months for our 

third baby and after the up and downs each month, it had 

finally happened. 

The text messages were from my wife. A series of photos 

of the pregnancy kit and comments from Katie about how 

she couldn’t believe it and how much of a blessing it was to 

have another child on the way. 

I lie in bed for a few moments and look up at the ceiling. I 

say a prayer of thanks. I feel like crying. 

It was this emotionally charged morning that started my 

first Culture Club day experience and there was more to 

come. 

I may be biased but I believe we have a unique team at the 

Trust. It is more than a team, it’s our whānau and it’s full 

of people who genuinely care about you and the work that 

you do. 

I guess that’s what makes them the ideal people to help 

New Zealanders find their hope and independence after 

being dealt a rough hand. 

In the past few weeks, we have announced a landmark 

time for our Peer and Whānau Support programme around 

New Zealand. This news is widely celebrated in this issue. 

It’s fitting I’m writing about encouragement and culture. 

That is exactly what this programme is built on. Helping. 

Mentoring. Supporting. Listening. Encouraging. We know 

it makes a world of difference. 

A culture of encouragement 

At the Culture Club event, every member of the team was 

asked to draw a name from the hat and tell that person in 

front of the group what they mean to them and thank 

them for what they bring to the team. 

I wasn’t ready for this. It was like a ‘This is Your Life’ 

experience and to hear people say what you mean to them, 

and how proud they are of the work you are doing, and 

how lucky the Trust is to have you in the role, well that is 

incredibly special. And it shows too. This December, I am 

completing six years of working for the Trust. That’s 

plenty of late nights writing stories with a cuppa and a few 

Superwine biscuits. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I 

hope there are many more to come. 

I love to make a difference but it’s more than that. I love to 

be part of a team who wants to achieve something special 

together. I am not alone. There are seven of our team who 

have been working at the Trust for 10+ years and in today’s 

market that is quite incredible. On that day, it just so 

happens that I pulled out our fearless leader’s name (Hans 

Wouters) from the hat. 

It was the easiest commendation I would ever have to 

make. I am proud to call him a good mate and the culture 

of encouragement and inclusivity I am talking about 

comes from this man. 

He is a legend. He has a heart of gold and nobody puts in 

more hours and effort into making the Trust thrive than 

Hans. The best quality about this man is he is loyal to a 

fault and he ALWAYS has your back. No matter what. And 

that is a great quality to have in a leader. 

Being in that environment, it was such a refreshing 

change. We live in a world where criticism and negative 

comments are rife. Spend any time searching social media 

and you realise that being negative and pulling people 

down is the norm. 

It doesn’t have to be.


Supporting 

Positive Futures 

Hans Wouters 

CEO’s Column 

Hans says 2022 is a golden opportunity to continue building, blooming and flourishing. 

Flowers bloom in the desert. 

This is one of the miracles of life on earth. In the midst of 

such barrenness, extreme temperatures and hardship 

something beautiful can still find a way and flourish. As 

the year draws to a close and I reflect on our efforts and 

what we have achieved, the picture I have in my mind is of 

a flower blooming in the desert. 

We have had a remarkable year. Leaving our ‘winter of 

Covid-discontent’, NZST has entered a spring period 

where there is growth everywhere. There are new shoots 

and blooms appearing right across our work. This year 

our team has grown stronger as we have faced our own 

challenges, both personal and professional, as individuals 

and as an organisation. It has been really tough at times 

and yet we live what we teach. We do have a positive 

future - these difficulties too will pass. Our two appeals 

this year broke records as we continue to build a strong 

supporter base from which to help people. Despite 

incredible economic changes in our society, we have 

maintained strong relationships with each one of our 

funding partners and in some cases even grown their 

support. As you will read, we have partnered with ACC to 

see them invest in Peer Support across the entire country 

to a profound and unprecedented level. The importance 

of this mahi was recognised in a 10 minute interview on 

TV1’s ‘Breakfast’ show where John Campbell expertly 

—Hans Wouters 

The best way to build culture 

and relationship is to solve a 

problem together. 

shared with the nation how with peer support one can 

find their way back to a positive future. 

It is said the best way to build culture and relationship is to 

solve a problem together. Our team and the team at Spinal 

Support NZ (SSNZ) have been working on the problem of 

delivering consistent, sustainable, nationwide peer 

support for almost 10 years now and we are on the cusp of 

solving it - together. This challenge has drawn SSNZ and 

NZST closer together at a leadership level and a staffing 

level. What we have achieved so far is setting us up for an 

amazing future together that will no doubt see us join 

forces in other ways to deliver much needed support and 

resources to the many New Zealanders who live with the 

effects of spinal cord impairment right across the whenua. 

2021 also saw us successfully launch our new website and 

establish our new Resource Centre facility at Burwood


Hospital in the perfect location between the spinal unit 

and the Utley gym. Next year we will be rewriting our 

famous Back on Track book and adding some important 

new chapters, in addition to establishing the nationwide 

peer support network. It has to be said we have had a 

wonderful year and 2022 is a golden opportunity to 

continue building, blooming and flourishing. 

As I finish my column, I consider the many new patients 

and whānau we have met and supported this year in so 

many ways. I recall the fear and anxiety, uncertainty and 

sense of hopelessness many of them have had. If you were 

to ask them to make a feelings statement it might sound 

something like this, “I feel like I am a dry, hard, 

unmoveable rock thrust into the middle of a desert, what 

hope do I have for my future and what good can come of 

this?” The majority of these dear people would now say 

they have found hope for a positive future and that they 

will make it. Yes, flowers do bloom in the desert. 2021 has 

been a remarkable year for the NZ Spinal Trust but we 

have not done it alone. To our supporters and volunteers 

who put their hand to the plough and help us do what we 

do, we thank you! To our growing number of friends who 

Hans presenting at ‘Show Your Ability’. 


It has to be said we have had 

a wonderful year and 2022 

is a golden opportunity to 

continue building, blooming 

and flourishing 

believe in what we believe in and support us financially, 

we thank you! To our wonderful main sponsors, Permobil, 

Access Community Health and Coloplast, we thank you! 

To our dear friends at Spinal Support NZ for partnering 

with us as we plant seeds together right throughout the 

country, we say thank you. Seeds that will without a doubt 

make a significant difference in many people’s lives. 

Flowers will continue to bloom in the desert.


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Palm Grip 

Lever Grip 

totalability.com.au


Peer Support to be 

Extended Across Aotearoa 

Creating a community of Peer Support for those who need it most 

ALL SMILES. The new funding will see greater support for people with an SCI across NZ. 

It’s the most significant announcement for the 

spinal cord impaired community in almost 50 

years. That’s the opinion of our CEO Hans 

Wouters on the recent news that ACC will 

invest $1.3 million into our Peer and Whānau 

Support programme over the next two years. 

We have a very exciting 

two years ahead of us. 


“This is without a doubt the most significant support for 

the collective SCI community in New Zealand since ACC's 

inception in 1974,” says Hans. “This is a very important 

commitment that will profoundly benefit the lives of SCI 

clients and their whānau.” And he is right. 

Hans featured in an interview on TVNZ‘s Breakfast show 

alongside Mark and Jayden Glentworth in November to 

make this significant announcement. He knows this 

investment into support across Aotearoa will make the 

world of difference. 

Peer Support services will soon be extended into homes 

right across the country. 

The two-year “proof of concept” proposal has been 

developed by charitable organisations Spinal Support NZ 

and our team at the New Zealand Spinal Trust. 

For people returning to their communities from specialist 

Spinal Units, this is a massive boost in their transition. 

Peer Support will coordinate a network of about 30 

fully-trained community peer support staff and dozens 

more community volunteers with lived experiences of 

spinal cord impairment. 

Currently Peer Support services are delivered at the 

Auckland Spinal Rehabilitation Unit, and Christchurch’s 

Burwood Spinal Unit. 

The programme continues in those two units as well as the 

development of a community-wide peer network for clients 

and their whānau – from the Far North to the Deep South. 

A powerful interview on TVNZ Breakfast with John Campbell 

to announce the new funding from ACC for Peer Support. 

The network will provide support for people returning 

home from spinal units, and people with spinal cord 

impairments already living in the community.


All in it together. Sharing lived experience of an SCI is invaluable. Photo credit: Shane Wenzlick. 

“We have a very exciting two years ahead of us as we 

develop peer support services in New Zealand in an 

unprecedented way,” Hans says. 

Returning to homes and communities is recognised as 

a critical stage for people who have sustained spinal 

cord impairments. 

Peer Support services have been shown to provide more 

responsive and targeted support; teach skills and 

strategies that aid a return to independence; and be a 

positive influence on rehabilitation. 

In New Zealand, Peer Support actively promotes 

belonging, autonomy and confidence, while also 

supporting the development of optimism and 

adaptive coping. 

However, current peer services are focused on inpatient 

support, with limited support available for people, or 

their families, as they return home from hospital. 

Under the expansion, which will be rolled out over two 

years from October 1, peer support workers will be 

established across every region of New Zealand. 

Hans says the network will include support, advice 

and encouragement for whānau of people with spinal 

cord impairments, because all too often, their needs 

get overlooked. 

Once the full programme is in place, the trusts will work 

with ACC to secure the ongoing delivery of the service. 

About 220 people sustain a new spinal cord impairment 

each year, with roughly two-thirds of these the result of 

accident or injury, and one-third the result of other 

factors such as disease or illness. 

It’s estimated 5,000 New Zealanders with spinal cord 

impairments are living in communities across the country. 

“We anticipate this new peer support service will unearth 

more of these hidden wheelies as we make peer support 

available in the community.” 

ACC Minister Carmel Sepuloni says Peer and Whānau 

Support is an essential service for people disabled by a 

spinal cord injury. 

“Extending this support across Aotearoa makes sense, 

and ACC’s investment will make a huge difference to the 

hundreds of New Zealanders who suffer a serious spinal 

injury each year,” she says. 

The Government recently announced a new Ministry for 

Disabled People and committed to taking steps towards 

making Aotearoa more accessible through a new 

framework and standalone legislation. 

“These actions once fully realised will also provide better 

support for people who become disabled through life 

changing injuries.” 

Minister Sepuloni says the New Zealand Spinal Trust and 

Spinal Support NZ have been doing an outstanding job for 

a long time. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing the difference it will make 

to the people whose lives are turned upside down by 

spinal cord injuries.” 

Peer and Whānau Support – by the numbers 

• ACC will invest $1.3 million into our Peer and Whānau 

Support programme over the next two years. 

• Currently Peer Support services are delivered at the 

Auckland Spinal Rehabilitation Unit, and 

Christchurch’s Burwood Spinal Unit. 

• It will coordinate a network of 30 fully-trained 

community peer support staff and dozens more 

community volunteers with lived experiences of spinal 

cord impairment. 

• About 220 people sustain a new spinal cord 

impairment each year. 

• It is estimated there are 5,000 New Zealanders living 

with spinal cord impairments


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“It's a Game Changer” 

Lee Taniwha talks about how Peer Support can impact a person’s life 

Lee Taniwha says going home was the scariest part of his rehabilitation. Photo Credit: Shane Wenzlick. 

Lee Taniwha will always remember the fear 

he felt leaving the Auckland Spinal Unit. 

“I was terrified,” says the 28-year-old from Ōtara. “I had 

no idea what life was going to be like in the outside world.” 

Lee had survived a life-changing accident. 

As a 13-year-old, he dived into his cousin’s swimming 

pool and misjudged the depth of the water. 

He broke his neck on impact and for several minutes he 

floundered at the bottom of the pool unable to move. 

It’s a hard journey. 

You know you’re different 

to everyone else. 

—Lee Taniwha 

“I was counting the seconds I had left. I was sure that 

was it, that I was going to die. I was hanging on until my 

last breath.” 

Lee went into emergency surgery and was put into an 

induced coma to save his life. 

He spent the next month at Auckland Hospital before a 

five-month stay at the Auckland Spinal Unit in Ōtara. 

“I’m lucky to be alive,” he says. “Someone up there 

must’ve been watching over me.” 

The hardest part of my rehab 

After making great progress in the Auckland Spinal Unit 

it was time go home. Lee didn’t feel ready. 

“It’s a hard journey. You know you’re different to everyone 

else. You’re totally isolated and don’t have that support 

around you that you’ve relied on for months. It is scary.” 

He says returning home can be the hardest part of a 

person’s rehabilitation. 

“Your whānau want to help but they don’t understand,” 

he says.


“When you go back to your community or home, it’s quite 

foreign for people to talk about things like bladder or 

bowel or skin issues. So you feel different and isolated.” 

Lee lives in South Auckland. He says the feeling of being 

lonely or isolated would be even worse for those with a 

spinal cord impairment (SCI) living in rural parts of 

New Zealand. 

“What are they supposed to do? Who are they going to 

talk to? You see no one else like you and you feel 

completely alone.” 

He says there is no substitute for the support of lived 

experience with an SCI. 

“When you go through a traumatic event like damaging 

your spine, it’s nice to have someone else who is going 

through the same thing. 

“They know what you are going through and that is 

exactly where the conversation starts from.” 

Meeting people at a life changing moment 

Lee has gone full circle. 

After being a patient at the Auckland Spinal Unit, he now 

works for Spinal Support NZ as a Peer Support worker. 

Peer and Whānau Support is a service where people with 

lived experience of SCI help mentor and support a person 

following their impairment. They help them get familiar 

with their new life. 

“It’s a huge privilege for me,” he says. “You are meeting 

people at a life-changing moment. It’s good to be able to 

listen and make a difference. I try to help them find 

hope again.” 

He says the months of adjusting to life as a tetraplegic 

with the help of the Peer Support team at the Spinal Unit 

were invaluable for him. 

During his stay in Ōtara, Lee met a number of men who 

mentored him and changed his life. 

One day, mouth painter Wayne Te Rangi pulled up to talk 

to Lee. 

“He told me what would happen if I didn’t look after my 

body,” says Lee. “But he also told me what was possible 

– that he had travelled the world and did all of these 

exhibitions with his painting, I was like, ‘What?!’ 

“This guy had no function in his arms and he had very 

limited mobility, only shoulders and above and this 

dude is doing that? He was living a full life. That really 

shifted my mindset and changed my perspective on what 

is possible.” 

A game changer 

Lee believes the increased support will be ground 

breaking for the SCI community. 

“This investment will allow more people to have those 

important conversations,” he says. 

You’re meeting people at a 

life-changing moment. 

—Lee Taniwha 

A LONELY ROAD. Lee says its hard being in a community and not seeing anyone like you.


“This is great acknowledgment from ACC of the role that 

Peer Support plays. At the moment those conversations 

are organic. 

“They rely on someone having the good fortune to be 

alongside someone who has experienced what you are 

going through and is willing to share their experience. 

“This programme ensures people are getting sustained 

and ongoing support.” 

Lee says it’s been a challenging year in Auckland with 

COVID-19. It has been hard to stay connected with 

patients. But with this announcement he has hope for 

better times in the future. 

“There is no doubt that this expansion of the Peer and 

Whānau Support programme will deliver better 

outcomes for many New Zealanders living with a 

disability,” he says. 

“I want to be part of that and help people find their future 

after they’ve had a life-changing injury.” 

Lee meeting mouth painter Wayne Te Rangi. It was a life-changing chat. 

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To Have Someone 

Beside You is Incredible 

Jayden and Mark Glentworth talk about how Peer Support 

transformed their life after a traumatic time 

Peer and Whānau Support played a leading role in helping the Glentworth family when they needed it most. 

Jayden and Mark Glentworth know first-hand 

the challenges of dealing with a life-changing 

spinal cord injury. Jayden, now 17, fractured 

his spine while mountain biking on the 

Arapuke Forest Park trails in Palmerston 

North two years ago. 

After emergency surgery, he spent three months recovering 

in Christchurch’s Burwood Spinal Unit, before returning 

home in a wheelchair and facing a whole new world. 

His father, Mark, says the adjustment to life back at home 

in Palmerston North was one of the most difficult aspects 

of Jayden’s recovery. 

“They say, and I agree with it, that it’s harder to leave 

Burwood than arrive,” he said. 

“That’s because it’s like you’re going into the unknown, 

it’s the reality of how this spinal cord impairment is going 

to influence and affect every part of our lives as a family 

– and it has.” 

That is why Mark is hailing the extension of Peer Support 

services for Kiwis with spinal cord impairments right 

across the country as a huge boost. 

It’s harder to leave the 

Burwood Spinal Unit 

than arrive there. 

—Mark Glentworth 

Mark said the additional support would make “all the 

difference” for people returning from the structure and 

support of a spinal unit to the scary and uncertain world 

back in their homes and communities. 

“To have somebody to call upon, or to have someone call 

them once a week or call in and see them, and actually 

practically put some care around them, it’s 

game-changing.” 

He said Jayden’s injury had made their family realise 

“everything you’ve known and how you function as a 

family is compromised and needs to be considered”. 

That includes everything from where they eat dinner, to 

how Jayden showers and gets to school.


“To have someone beside you guiding you, or just 

advising you that ‘we can sort it out together and find 

solutions together’, is incredible. 

“It’s just that general guidance, and for us and others to 

have that locally is going to be incredible, because it’s all 

about building relationships. 

“For ACC to actually recognise that peer support is 

important, and get behind it, is amazing.” 

Jayden said Peer Support was available at Burwood. He 

was also lucky to have Liam Keenan, who was also 

paralysed following a mountain biking accident, visit him 

in the Spinal Unit. 

“It was very cool to see someone further down the track 

than me – especially when you don’t know what that track 

looks like. 

“He just came and had a chat and talked about what the 

process looks like. We spoke about everything from my 

health to what wheelchair to buy.” 

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Finding the Fairway Again 

The remarkable comeback from Andrew Woo 

to help others to find hope through golf 

Andrew on the pathway in golf: “I was really excited by that and it gave me a focus for the future.” 

Andrew Woo knew something was up on his 

scuba diving expedition when he was sitting 

on the boat afterwards and he had a tingling 

sensation in his shoulders. 

The 37-year-old from Auckland was in the Mokohinau 

Islands north of Auckland with a good mate. 

Andrew had been diving for 10 years, but he preferred to 

go with a charter and a dive master. “The dives were 

perfectly normal dives,” remembers Andrew. 

He had done the safety stops but when he came back on 

board after his second dive he didn’t feel quite right. 

I shouldn’t have left the 

Spinal Unit. It was a really 

supportive environment. I 

was in too much of a rush. 

—Andrew Woo 

“I started to notice a tingling around my shoulders and 

from the PADI trainings I know that’s a sign of the bends. 

So, I asked the Dive Master if it was the bends, and she 

checked my computer and my surface time and replied 

‘nah it’s not. It’s probably just a compressed disc’.” 

The bends, also known as decompression sickness, occurs 

in scuba divers or high altitude or aerospace events. 

Decompression sickness is caused by the formation of 

bubbles of gas that occur with changes in pressure. It can 

affect any part of the body including joints, lung, heart, 

skin and brain. 

As time progressed Andrew started to lose function in his 

body and he was scared. Moving his legs was difficult. He 

had to sit down. 

“Unfortunately, there was a massage therapist on board,” 

he says. “When he heard that it was a compressed disc he 

tried to crack my neck, which I don’t think helped at all.” 

Andrew required urgent attention. 

The captain called emergency services and a St John 

ambulance picked up Andrew from Leigh. 

They took him straight to North Shore Hospital. He was 

prepared for the decompression chamber and transported 

to the Devonport Naval Base.


“You might not make it” 

Andrew was losing consciousness as he arrived at the 

Naval Base and the news from the Naval Doctor only 

made matters worse. 

“He said to me ‘You are not looking good, and you might 

not make it. The best case scenario is you are going to be 

in a wheelchair for the rest of your life’. 

“I was not happy to hear that. I felt like hitting him, but I 

couldn’t move my arms.” 

The decompression chamber coordinator noticed the 

reaction from Andrew and said ‘let’s get you in the 

chamber and see what happens’. 

Andrew was in the chamber for eight hours and slept the 

whole time. “I just thought it would fix everything and I 

would walk out the next morning,” he says. “I had golf 

booked for the next day that I was looking forward to. But 

I still couldn’t move my body after the treatment.” 

He was admitted to North Shore Hospital for two weeks. 

Every day he went to the Naval Base for decompression 

treatment. From there he was transferred to the Auckland 

Spinal Unit for his rehabilitation. 

Andrew was fortunate to have a patient who had suffered 

a similar decompression sickness in the spinal cord come 

and visit him. He was 65 years old, and he gave Andrew 

great insight into what it would be like and what his life 

would be like going forward. 

“I asked him ‘what percentage are you normal’? He said 

about 95 percent and was walking around. That gave me 

hope. He saw me standing up and he said “mate you are 

already way ahead of where I was at the same stage”. That 

got me quite excited that I was going to make progress 

and get back to normal. I asked him how long he stayed in 

the Spinal Unit and he said ‘Six months’. 

“In my head I calculated because he said I was ahead of 

him, I thought I would be out in about a week.” But that 

didn’t prove to be the case. 

“I was in too much of a rush” 

He met with the Auckland Spinal Unit staff who said he 

would stay for six weeks which Andrew did not agree 

with. “I thought I was going to be out in a week. We found 

a compromise where I stayed for three weeks. In 

hindsight, I shouldn’t have left the Spinal Unit. It was a 

really supportive environment. I was in too much of a 

rush.” 

When he got home, he struggled with everyday living. He 

wasn’t ready. “I shouldn’t have been driving my car. The 

cramping and the spasms I had around my ankles and 

legs were quite concerning. Being stubborn as I am, I just 

pushed through.” 

He fell over in the shower more times than he can 

remember, or he’d be out grocery shopping and his legs 

would just give way on him. 

“Standing up for a long period was a real struggle for me. 

It was agony.” His internal functions, the bladder and 

bowel weren’t working. He was told that his first point of 

A scary time. Andrew went to the Devonport Naval Base every 

day for two weeks to have decompression treatment. 

contact was his GP. He was frustrated that he wasn’t 

getting specialist support that he needed. 

“I know I should have stayed longer at the Spinal Unit, so I 

would be more prepared for the outside world. I should 

have been more receptive on the first day and not wanting 

to be independent and leave after one week. I should have 

stayed and got their support.” 

While there was a tough physical recovery going on, 

Andrew was also trying to win the mental battle. 

He completed testing with a psychiatrist and the outcome 

was he had PTSD. There were also signs that he was 

manic depressive. 

“That didn’t sound great,” he laughs. “Although it 

explained why I could all of a sudden crash and go into a 

negative head space and literally implode and explode at 

the same time. All of these past traumas would flood back 

into my mind and it took a while to get past them.” 

Andrew is currently seeing a neuro physio and says he has 

made huge progress with his physical wellbeing. 

“The psych support has helped me massively. I can cope 

with things much better now. It has been huge progress 

from four or five years ago.” 

Finding his new passion 

His renewed positive mental state saw him look into new 

opportunities and he found golf. 

Andrew looked for community groups for disabled golf in 

New Zealand and found nothing.


He met with Christian Hamilton, the Inclusion and Senior 

Manager for Golf Australia, and it proved to be a life 

changing chat. 

He told Andrew he could play and get a ranking on the 

world ranking system which could lead to the 

Paralympics in the future. “I was really excited by that 

and it gave me a focus for the future.” 

He now plays golf with a cart at his home club 

Maungakiekie Golf Club. It’s a huge thrill to compete with 

able bodied players. 

Hamilton also gave him the blueprint to increase the 

profile of disability golf in NZ. “I love teaching so I 

thought golf could be an ideal pathway for me to help 

others,” he says. 

Andrew contacted Allan Deardon, the President of 

Amputee Golf NZ (which is also known as Amputee and 

Disability Golf). Andrew immediately became the 

Secretary and a year later is now the President. 

“Most people who are in a Spinal Unit aren’t thinking 

about golf, they just want to get back to normal life,” he 

says. “They need to accept their ‘new’ normal and get 

ready for the life that awaits them. After some healing, 

when they come to try golf and discover it is possible, 

they’ll be hooked. Further, when they come out on the 

golf course it’s a game changer. 

“If they dwell too much on what they have lost and all the 

things they cannot do, then they’ll end up in a real bad 

head space. But if they keep pushing and think why not 

and give it a go, it can be a real light bulb moment. It is 

possible. Anything is possible.” 

Andrew says the goal is to have one annual national 

event, one North Island and one South Island. He wants 

to create a pathway for disabled golfers. 

It’s this work that saw him recognised as the All Abilities 

Golfer of the Year by Golf New Zealand. The award was 

given to a player who has inspired others to play golf and 

has overcome an obstacle to play golf. 

“I take great pride in the good work we’ve done. It was 

nice to be awarded and recognised,” he says. 

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A Lasting Gift 

Hans Wouters explains how a bequest can change the Trust’s future 

Independent and free. A bequest will help secure the future of people with an SCI. 

Why would you leave money to the New 

Zealand Spinal Trust (NZST) … or any charity 

for that matter? Let me share with you a short 

story of the difference a recent bequest has 

made to the NZST. 

The story starts in 2017 when a local lawyer emailed me 

to let me know of a gift that had been planned in a will 

he’d recently helped a client with. Elizabeth had chosen 

to leave us $500,000 and was happy for us to know about 

it beforehand. 

As you can imagine, I was excited, thrilled, humbled, 

curious – all these emotions all at once! I asked if I could 

meet this kind and generous lady. 

In fact, Andrew Hall and I met up with Liz on several 

occasions. She never wanted to discuss her generous gift 

– we were able to thank her, but the rest of our 

conversations were about current affairs. 

Liz was a lively, intelligent, practical woman. She’d been a 

nurse her whole working life and I believe this may have 

influenced her decision to leave a gift to NZST. She had no 

children of her own, but she had a loved goddaughter who 

would inherit the bulk of her estate. 


Liz’s gift gave our 

organisation the certainty 

and confidence we needed. 

When Liz passed away in 2019, Andrew and I attended her 

funeral, and met her goddaughter. Many times, gifts in 

wills appear out of the blue once the estate has been 

finalised – I was very grateful that I’d been able to meet 

Liz and thank her and share stories of our chats with her 

goddaughter. 

This generous gift has underwritten our current 

fundraising. Prior to this our fundraising programme 

was, as with much of our service, achieved on the smell of 

an oily rag and often reactionary – we didn’t have the 

luxury of a dedicated staff member to drive our 

fundraising, let alone one with expertise in the area and 

the ability to work towards a sustainable model which 

could grow and support broader services.


Liz’s gift gave our organisation the certainty and 

confidence we needed to invest in our future. 

We hired a fulltime fundraiser, who is making a 

difference to how we communicate with our supporters, 

while also ensuring we are proactive in finding new 

opportunities. Our fundraising is now able to be spread 

across many different sources, reducing our reliance on 

grants (which like so many things in this COVID-19 world, 

are less certain than they used to be). 

Earlier this year we received another email from a lawyer 

informing us of a bequest that was due to be paid. This 

one was a fraction of the size of Liz’s gift, however it was 

received with the same sense of excitement and humility. 

But also, with some sadness – as I never got to thank the 

giver in person. She had experienced our support as part 

of her own SCI journey many years previously and had 

continued to enjoy our Spinal Network News magazine 

since then. I like to think this provided an ongoing 

connection – but it would have been wonderful to have 

thanked her over a cup of tea. 

Every gift left to NZST in a will is a significant gift. It 

means someone has thought highly enough of the support 

we provide to want to see it continue after their passing. 

They have given careful consideration to how they could 

best show their appreciation for the māhi our team does. 

They have chosen to provide very practical assistance for 

those who will be facing a challenging SCI life journey. 

They have gifted hope for a positive future. 

A gift left to us in a will is not a spur of the moment 

decision. It is – or at least I would hope it is – a well 

thought out choice that has been discussed with whānau 

and a solicitor. 

It is settled on after loved ones have been cared for, and 

can take many different forms: a set amount, a percentage 

of what is left after family gifts are made, a piece of art, 

shares, a life insurance policy. 

In a world where many of us are asset rich and cash poor, 

two percent of the residual estate can easily be the most 

significant gift a person will make to charity. Whether it is 

$5,000 or $500,000 – a gift in your will to NZST is an 

investment in hope and positive futures. 

If you have ever considered leaving a gift in your will, 

whether to NZST or another charity close to your heart, I 

encourage you to action that thought. 

Long after you’re gone, your legacy of hope will live on. 

If you’d like information on leaving a gift in your will and 

would like to chat about how a gift would support NZST or 

you have already committed to leaving NZST a gift please 

call me or our fundraiser, Su Marshall, on 03 383 6881. 

We’d love to have a chat over a cuppa. 

A few facts about wills: 

A recent survey from Perpetual 

Guardian showed around 20 

percent of people were planning 

to leave a charitable gift in their 

will, and five percent had already 

made provision for gifts. 

Leaving a gift in your will doesn’t 

necessarily mean making a whole new 

will – very often it can just be added to 

an existing document (a codicil). 

Your will should be kept in a safe 

place, known and accessible to your 

executor. You must have a hard copy, 

with no staple marks or indentations. 

A Commission for Financial Capability 

(Retirement Commission) survey in 

2018 found only 47 percent of New 

Zealanders had a will. 

Anyone over 18 with personal assets 

(including Kiwisaver) totalling 

$15,000 or more should have a will. If 

you die without one (‘intestate’), the law 

dictates how your assets will be divided. 

It’s recommended you update your will 

whenever your personal circumstances 

change - marriage, divorce, children, 

buying a house, terminal illness 

diagnosis, etc. Some situations will 

automatically void your will. 

If you are considering leaving a gift in 

your will to a charity close to your heart, 

always ensure your whānau and loved 

ones are cared for first. It’s also a good 

idea to talk your ideas through with 

them so they understand your reasons. 

How to make a will? It’s best to see 

your solicitor or a trustee company (e.g. 

Public Trust, Perpetual Guardian etc.) 

to help ensure it is legally correct, and 

to protect it from being challenged. 

There are also several online options to 

help you create a will (e.g. LawHawk, 

Footprint, etc.). The cost of creating a will 

can vary widely depending on its 

complexity (starting from around $60) but 

it’s a worthwhile investment to ensure 

your wishes are known and carried out. 

“Ultimately, in our last moments, we want our thoughts to 

be peaceful, happy and reflective, and to feel secure that 

our will has everything sorted for the people we’re leaving 

behind. It’s an act of love, made in advance,” says former 

Retirement Commissioner Diane Maxwell.


Telling it Like it is 

Sharing some light this Christmas 

—Teina Boyd’s mate 

I don’t know what I get out 

of bed for anymore Tee. 

Oh. Okay. Thanks, COVID-19. 

I think back to a conversation I had with a friend last 

week. His shoulders hunched, his pants on wonky, his 

mouth down turned. 

“I don’t know what I get out of bed for anymore Tee.” 

Teina Boyd never takes a day with her whānau for granted. 

Teina Boyd is a tetraplegic based in 

Tauranga. She was a patient in the Burwood 

Spinal Unit in 2014. Prior to her injury, Teina 

was a recruit for the NZ Police when she 

fractured her neck at the C5 vertebrae in a 

freak accident. It changed her life in a 

moment. But Teina has never given up. We 

are lucky to have her real and honest 

reflections about life with a spinal cord 

impairment in the SNN. 

Reaching a hand out of the blankets I pick up my phone. 

Soft light brightens my room as my phone shows the time: 

5:31am. 

Withdrawing back to the warmth beneath my blankets, I 

burrow a little deeper, pulling them up around my cold 

shoulders. A giant yawn makes my eyes water. 

Snuggling my face into the pillow, I look around my room. 

Everything’s so grey at this time of the morning. It’s 

peaceful and sleepy. Like colours haven’t woken up yet. 

I can hear the birds starting to sing from my neighbours’ 

trees. It makes me smile and wonder what they’re saying. 

What are birds’ first thoughts when they wake up? Food? 

Their mates? The cold? 

I think this over for way too long, and without realising it 

my morning grey is gone. Pale gold light filters through 

my curtains, giving everything colour. 

Right… what am I doing today? I reach for the phone 

again to check my schedule…nothing. 

His words had hit me like a brick wall. That level of raw 

honesty is rare and pulled at my heart big time. I wanted 

to wrap him up in my arms and warm his soul up. 

Unfortunately, that wasn’t a good idea. Have you ever 

seen two tetraplegics try and hug? Quite a risky sport. 

I felt so sad for him, but I also understood. 

The thought of getting up, dressed and washed just to roll 

25m to the lounge to watch Netflix on a slightly bigger 

screen is not the most fun in the world. 

I hear the front door open and whispering voices entering 

the house. The door closes and I hear squeaking shoes in 

the front lobby. Smiling I can hear my nephew 

unstrapping his Velcro shoes. 

A loud thud from the bedroom next to mine tells me my 

William is up now as well. 

Turning towards my bedroom door, it slowly creaks open. 

My messy haired pre-teenager standing there in his camo 

onesie with the world’s cutest toddler pushing him out of 

the way. 

“AUNTY TEINA I GOT A NEW CAR!” he says with so 

much excitement in his voice I can’t help but share his 

enthusiasm. He runs to my bed before realising it’s too 

high to get up on. 

“DAD LIFT ME!” he whines over his shoulder as his little 

eyes try to tippy toe over the edge of the bed to see me. His 

tiny hands trying to pull himself up. I give him my hand 

and we try our best to get him up. 

Brad enters my room with a smile and a good morning, 

lifting Eddie up for a kiss and cuddle before William’s full 

weight crashes down on me. Man, teenagers are good at 

acting paralysed. 

After a long, hard fought giggle battle…he frees himself 

from my headlock. Sitting up he’s puffing hard, his hair 

an even bigger mess.


I text him quickly. 

COVER YOUR BUM AND TURN THAT ANTIQUES 

ROADSHOW OFF BUD-YOU’VE GOT VISITORS. 

Entering the side-gate we walk around to his backyard, 

singing loudly about long wavy grass. His lawns haven’t 

been done in what looks like months. I make a mental 

note to come back and do those this evening. 

His dog runs out to greet us happily before running back 

inside, barking loudly. 

“Good boy Tank, you tell dad he’s got visitors.” 

As we turn the corner, holding a giant balloon and his 

favourite biscuits, we see him sitting there quietly in his 

bed. Hands folded in his lap, and the most beautiful smile 

on his face. 

“Hi” … his voice breaks. 

“You’re getting really strong Mum!” 

Smiling huge as Erana kicks him out of my room, he 

noticed! He noticed all the hard work I’ve put into my 

arms lately. Massive smiles. 

I guess it is worth getting up to go and have a workout 

every day. 

Catching up with my carer, as she pulls my clothes on for 

me, and helps me brush my hair. I can hear the boys 

playing down in the lounge. I feel so blessed to have so 

many happy and positive things to get up for every day. 

I have amazing neighbours who I love catching up with 

when I run the dog. On that note, I have the world’s 

sweetest dog. 

My care team are simply beautiful… they are family to us 

now. My friends who share their babies’ cuddles with me, 

and their husbands when there are things that need 

heavy lifting. 

My family… I don’t even know where to start there. My 

family are a giant loving taniwha that’s always wrapped 

around us. 

I spend the morning playing rough with the boys. “Hit 

meeeeee” being shouted over and over again followed by 

high-pitched giggles. 

Looking at his face, he knows that I heard him last week, 

and he’s grateful. Tears welling in his eyes. 

I smile and send the boys to investigate the kitchen and 

bring back cups of coffee in tetra friendly cups. They head 

off down the hallway on an adventure, chests puffed out 

as they both try to take control of the mission. 

“Cut that out Al. If you make me cry too, I’m not sharing 

my biscuits” 

He laughs and a warm comfort returns to the room. I relax 

against a wall and ask if there were ‘any gooduns’ on the 

roadshow today. 

We leave a few hours later, and my friend? He seems 

younger. I know that’s an odd observation, but he seems A 

LOT younger…and the best part? He’s excited to get out of 

bed tomorrow to come and learn how to mow the lawns. 

He has a reason to get up. 

The boys are walking home ahead of me, and I watch them, 

smiling. They have no idea that they have just improved 

someone’s quality of life just by being themselves. 

So, from my family to yours, Merry Christmas. And if you 

can, if you have some spare, try and share some of your 

sunshine this Christmas. 

I find myself wondering if my mate has gotten out of bed 

today. Or if he’s lying in his bed looking at the same four 

walls just waiting for something to happen. 

Flipping between experiencing my reality and thinking 

about his, I can’t help but feel grateful for everything I have. 

Then it hits me, why am I not sharing? 

“Sun hats on boys! We’re going visiting.” 

What a ruckus they make galloping around the house 

finding hats. Eventually one emerges with a hat and the 

other one with a T-shirt tied around his head. 

Good enough. 

Walking around the block, we arrive at his house. All of 

the curtains are closed, the garage too. 

Teina: “My family are a giant 

loving taniwha.”


Driven by Speed 

We look back on a memorable Highlands Park experience 

The Highlands Park experience in Cromwell is something special. 

Brett Ladbrook, Senior Peer Support 

Coordinator, describes a special day out in 

November at the Highlands Motorsport Park 

in Cromwell. 

It was perfect for 12 ‘petrol heads’ to race a kitted-out Ford 

Mustang, adapted with push-pull hand controls and a 

Spinner on the steering wheel. 

—Brett Ladbrook 

It was entertaining to see 

everyone at the start of the 

drive with a nervous look 

on their faces to the excited 

smile at the end of their laps. 

The Ford Mustang that Highlands use is the ‘U-Drive’ 

vehicle which is fully stripped out with a full race 

roll-cage, race seats, big brakes, semi slick tyres and of 

course a rowdy exhaust, to help the 5L V8 breathe. 

Melrose Kiwi Concept Chairs, in Christchurch, made a 

generous donation per person and with the Highlands 

Motorsport Park discount made it an affordable fun day. 

First driver was on the track at 9am and the last was 

at 4.30pm. 

People came from as far away as Canterbury, Otago and 

Central Otago. 

For most people this was their first experience on a 

racetrack and for some the first time in a V8. 

It was entertaining to see everyone at the start of the drive 

with a nervous look on their faces to the excited smile at 

the end of their laps. Everyone really enjoyed it and those 

smiles didn’t go away for quite some time. 

Thanks to the super crew at Highlands, Melrose 

Wheelchairs and all the people that provided their 

support to make the day an absolute success.

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Arni and the Wheelchair Guy 

The special friendship that inspired Mike Franklin 

to write a children’s book 

What do you enjoy about writing? 

I enjoyed the whole process from forming the ideas to 

polishing up the final story. 

I have had a lot of enjoyment from getting to know Arni and 

his owners, Duncan and Natalia, during my regular 

exercise in their Redcliffs community. Watching Arni and 

his adventures inspired me to write the book. During one of 

our regular coffees, I asked Duncan and Natalia if they 

would be happy for me to write about Arni and they agreed. 

I wrote the initial story over lockdown in 2020 and it 

provided me with a great deal of pleasure during that 

difficult time. I enjoyed thinking about the story at night in 

bed and then sketching out my ideas on paper the next day. 

The book has also led to me meeting Natalia’s friend and 

local artist, Albina [Koldasova], who agreed to illustrate 

the book. This has enhanced the story hugely. 

There was a lot of work, with ups and downs, getting the 

story edited and ready for printing. I now know a lot more 

about this tricky process! 

When did the cancer treatment and your confinement 

to a wheelchair happen? 


Mike Franklin has always been an avid 

reader but never a writer, until now. The 68 

year-old from Canterbury celebrated a proud 

moment in May when he released his first 

children’s story. It has all the makings of a 

Kiwi classic. 

The two met in 2019 on the smooth Redcliffs Coastal 

Pathway where Mike likes to exercise in his wheelchair. 

Arni, a French bulldog, came bounding into his life. 

They have formed a special friendship which led to some 

fun adventures and helped Mike get through some dark 

times as he adjusted to his new life. 

In 2001, Mike had intensive radiation to remove a brain 

tumour which was successful. But many years later in 

2019, he lost his mobility and began using a wheelchair. It 

has been an exhausting physical and mental battle. 

Mike says he wanted to use the book to teach children 

about people with disabilities. It does more than that. 

His own story is inspiring in itself. 

It shows us that anything is possible after sustaining an 

illness or injury and there is always hope. 

It’s a long story. In 2000, I was having difficulty lifting 

one foot. An MRI scan found an inoperable brain tumour 

affecting my motor cortex. I was treated with large doses 

of radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy. I made a full 

recovery. The brain tumour has not recurred, and I was 

able to get back to my previous enjoyment of running, 

cycling and hiking. The doctors said at the time that the 

large amount of radiation on my brain would mean I 

would develop problems with my legs in later life. And 

this is what has occurred. 

From 2016, my ability to control my legs gradually 

worsened. In 2019, I moved into a wheelchair, although I 

can still stand with difficulty and stagger short distances. 

The brain damage from the radiation also causes me to 

get very tired. I get exhausted easily, especially if I am 

trying to use my legs. I now find using a wheelchair is 

easier, safer and less tiring than trying to walk. 

How hard has it been and what is the prognosis now? 

Both the brain tumour diagnosis and treatment and the 

more recent loss of mobility have been very challenging 

for me and my family. I did have a long period of normal 

life in between, so I am very grateful that my cancer 

treatment was successful over that time. 

My whole life I have been very active with running, 

mountain climbing, hiking, snowboarding and cycling. 

Prior to my brain tumour, I competed successfully in


Meeting Arni helped me 

get through some dark 

periods of depression. 

—Mike Franklin 

many races and events and have even made five ascents of 

Mt Cook. I was able to continue with many of these 

activities after my cancer treatment. My final job before I 

retired was teaching cycling to Christchurch primary 

schools. Since 2016, I have found it very difficult not 

being able to do these physical activities that I have 

enjoyed so much throughout my life. I particularly miss 

not being able to ride my bike, especially with my wife, 

Sarah. We had done many wonderful cycling trips 

together and now that is not possible any longer. 

I still try my best to get as much exercise as possible. This 

is why I regularly go to Beachville Road, Redcliffs where 

the new Coastal Pathway provides an extensive, smooth 

surface for rolling along in my wheelchair. I’ll never be a 

wheelchair racer, at my age now, but I enjoy pushing 

myself as much as I can. 

My prognosis from now on is not clear. However, I won’t 

be getting any better and my mobility is likely to 

gradually deteriorate. As will the general effects from 

my brain damage, such as tiredness and difficulty with 

coordination. 

Have you formed a special friendship with Arni and 

his family? 

people call out to me or toot their car horns as they see me 

rolling along in my wheelchair. The whole experience of 

meeting Arni, his family and Albina; writing and 

publishing the book; publicity through the local paper; 

and the friendly Redcliffs community, has really helped 

me feel better about my situation and improved my 

self-esteem. 

What other challenges have you lined up next? 

I often think about writing another Arni book, but I am 

not sure if I could cope with the publishing and marketing 

aspects all over again. I will keep thinking about this. 

A friend of mine has developed a light-weight, detachable 

electric motor for my wheelchair. This has given me 

another challenge as it’s tricky to drive, but also lets me 

go further and explore places that would be difficult or 

exhausting with a manual wheelchair, such as the New 

Brighton Pier. I am still getting used to it and trying to 

make the most of its capabilities. Navigating the rough 

footpaths of Christchurch remains my biggest challenge 

at the moment! 

What advice do you have for others who have 

sustained an SCI through illness? 

Try to be positive as much as possible, although this can 

be very hard. Try to do one thing you enjoy every day. 

Maintain friendships and opportunities to connect with 

people. While the things that you can do are now not 

the same as you used to enjoy before a spinal cord 

impairment, there are still lots of things you can do for 

enjoyment and challenge. It is a matter of adjusting to 

this different world and realising that it can also bring 

happiness. This is very challenging, but worth 

the effort. 

There are many dogs on the Coastal Pathway, but Arni 

stood out for his friendliness and adventurous character. 

Arni is a black French bulldog. He is very friendly, loves 

cuddles and to sit on my knee in my wheelchair. 

Although he can also be a bit naughty. He is quite a 

character, which is what made him such a good subject for 

my book. 

Arni’s family, Duncan and Natalia, are also a very friendly 

and welcoming couple. 

I developed a special relationship with Arni and his 

family. I look forward to seeing them on my excursions to 

Redcliffs. Meeting Arni and his family (and writing the 

book) helped me get through some dark periods of 

depression as I tried to adjust to my new life without 

being able to use my legs and in a wheelchair. 

How did the Redcliffs community support you in 

your recovery? 

People in the Redcliffs community have been very 

friendly and welcoming to me. I live about 5km drive 

away, but I spend at least a couple of days a week on the 

Coastal Pathway. I stop and chat to local people using the 

pathway and in the café. People recognise me and, 

following local publicity about my book, they know that I 

am the Wheelchair Guy and ask me about Arni. Lots of 

Mike was proud to make his writing debut. 


Written by Mike Franklin 

Edited by Linda Cassells 

Illustrated by Albina Koldasova 

Buy it here: www.wheelers.co.nz


Leaving a Legacy 

Ben Lucas’ drive to make a difference 

Ben Lucas on Hans Wouters: “You could not meet a person of higher integrity.” 

A motorbike accident 32 years ago changed 

Ben Lucas’ life in a moment. The former NZ 

Spinal Trust CEO has gone on to live an 

extraordinary life. He’s travelled the world 

with wheelchair racing, competed with the 

best in the world at two Paralympics and now 

he’s working hard on the “inside” as a Lead 

Disability Advisor for ACC. We sat down with 

Ben to reflect on his life full of highlights and 

his desire to make a difference to all with a 

spinal cord impairment in New Zealand. 

“A big piece of my heart will always be with the Trust” 

Ben Lucas says there was no greater feeling as the New 

Zealand Spinal Trust CEO than to see former patients come 

back into the Spinal Unit with a big smile on their face. 

The 56-year-old from Blenheim, who led the NZ Spinal 

Trust for five years from 2011 – 2016, says helping people 

and making a difference to their life was the most 

rewarding part of the role. “I loved it when people would 

come back into in to visit the Trust, whether it was three 

months or six months after their injury,” he says. “They 

were further down the journey and now independent and 

living their best lives, that was absolutely fantastic.” 

Ben says the Trust will always have a huge piece of his heart. 

“I love the Trust and the fantastic work that they do,” he says. 

The former Paralympian says the thing that makes the NZ 

Spinal Trust so special is the people. “They are very 

passionate about spinal cord impairment. They are the 

ones that make the Trust successful,” he says. 

“The work that the Trust does around supporting people 

to find positive futures, I wish I had something like that 

when I had my injury. To have that support as a newly 

injured person or a new impairment from a medical 

condition, they are so lucky to have that support.” 

Ben says that when the opportunity came up to join ACC 

in 2016 he was torn because he knew what he was leaving 

behind. He took the role because it provided the chance to 

make changes at a national level and it also presented the 

chance to work on the inside to advocate for people with 

spinal cord impairment. 

Ben is excited to see where Peer Support has got to now 

considering the work he did in 2012 when the NZ Spinal 

Cord Impairment Action Plan kicked off. 

“Hans was my general manager at the time, and he was 

just so competent,” he says. “You could not find a person 

of higher morals, values or integrity than a guy like Hans 

Wouters. I was relieved, excited and stoked when he 

decided to take on the role of CEO. He has found his 

passion and he is doing a wonderful job.” 

Ben has lived a full life since his accident which could 

have killed him 32 years ago.


—Ben Lucas 

Sport gives people hope. It’s 

part of their rehabilitation 

“A day I’ll never forget” 

In 1989 aged 24, Ben crashed his motorbike into a 

U-turning van and broke his L3 lumbar vertebrae which 

left him paralysed. He has vivid memories of that day in 

Newmarket. “It was a 50/50 call whether the driver had 

seen me and would stop, or he’d keep going. I thought he’d 

seen me. It was the wrong call.” 

Ben went flying from his bike and skidded down the road 

landing on his back. The crash blew his spine into pieces 

with a burst fracture. He was in agony. “Strangely, I 

remember being quite calm about it.” 

Ben thought about a couple of mates who had broken 

their necks in Blenheim and had fully recovered so he 

thought that would be his experience. 

In hospital. he saw an X-ray of his spine and realised his 

injury was serious. “The next day the house surgeon came 

around and put his hand on my shoulder and said: ‘young 

man, you’ve had a nasty accident and you will never walk 

again’. He left. Curtains were drawn around me and I 

cried for an hour when the reality hit home.” 

Ben called his good mate Mark Griffin to tell him he was 

in hospital with a broken back and that it was serious. “He 

took some convincing and then he came in… I remember 

he fainted in the room, which we both had a laugh about.” 

Ben then called his parents, in what he described as the 

toughest phone call of his life. “I thought very early on there 

are a couple of ways I can do this; I can feel sorry for myself or 

I can make the most of every day and have the best possible 

life. I chose the second option, and I didn’t look back.” 

Finding hope after tragedy 

ACC played a leading role in Ben’s rehabilitation. 

During his time at the Auckland Spinal Unit, Ben saw a 

photo of wheelchair racing and it sparked his imagination. 

When he was discharged home to Blenheim, he travelled 

across to Nelson to play wheelchair basketball every week. 

He had a chance meeting with former Paralympian, 

Morice Hennessy, who introduced him to wheelchair 

racing. “I was bitten by the bug. I loved it straight away 

and wanted to see how far I could go.” 

Ben was introduced to track meets in Christchurch and 

made an inauspicious start. “My first meet I got lapped in 

the 1500m,” he laughs. “It was humiliating getting the 

clap of shame from the whole grandstand as I came in in 

last place.” He used that moment as a catalyst to take the 

sport seriously. “I was determined to not get lapped again 

so I put in some work and slowly I improved. In the end, I 

was competing at Paralympic level.” 

Ben Lucas competing in the Commonwealth Games Marathon in Christchurch. 

Flying the NZ Flag 

Ben competed in wheelchair racing in two Paralympic 

Games in Atlanta (1996) and Sydney (2000). 

It was an “unbelievable honour” to line up for his first 

Paralympic Games in 1996 in Atlanta. 

He made the semi-finals of the 5000m and 10,000m and 

finished eighth in the marathon. In Sydney he didn’t get 

the results he wanted but it was an incredible experience. 

“Competing in front of a crowd of around 40,000 people 

was a phenomenal feeling.” 

Ben was the Kiwi flag bearer for both the 1996 and 2000 

Paralympic Games – something he never dreamed would 

have been possible in 1989 when he was lying prone in 

hospital. After finishing 15th in the wheelchair marathon 

in Sydney, Ben retired from all competition. 

His highlights included winning a bronze medal at the 

1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada and a gold medal 

in the 1999 World Wheelchair Games in Christchurch. He 

was also New Zealand’s Chef de Mission for Rio 2016, the 

team’s most successful Paralympics with 21 medals. 

During his heyday of competing around the world, Ben 

began working with Parafed Canterbury where he 

initiated the Parafed Canterbury Elite and Development 

Squads and mentored athletes. 

He says the difference sport can make to someone’s 

recovery is profound.“Sport gives people hope. It’s part of 

their rehabilitation. It gives them discipline, purpose and 

that leads on to greater things as they go on in their lives. 

They see others in a similar position to them doing great 

things and realise that they too can do this.”

NEW ZEALAND SPINAL TRUST 28


That’s A Good Question 

Hamish Ramsden offers advice to those new to SCI 

Hamish Ramsden has a special bond with his daughter Tessa. 

As they say in life, there is no substitute for 

experience. Hamish Ramsden sustained a 

spinal cord impairment almost 30 years ago. 

He has plenty of miles on the clock and is 

more than willing to share his experience of 

both the good and the bad with others. 

The tetraplegic from the Hawke’s Bay, who was a keen 

runner, tennis and rugby player and active farmer before 

his accident, has never stopped achieving. 

Hamish went on to develop a sheep stud with one of his 

brothers, which grew into the largest privately owned 

sheep and cattle genetics company in New Zealand. 

He has been a director of several privately owned 

companies, has run the Burwood Spinal Unit Education 

Group and was on the ISO Technical Committee for 

Wheelchair standards. 

He is also proud to give back and make a difference. 

For the last 12 years he’s worked as a teacher aide at a 

Christchurch school, working with children with learning 

difficulties. 

We sat down with him to ask what advice he would offer to 

those new to SCI. 

Take me back to the time of your accident, what 

happened? 

I was 31. A fourth generation Hill Country farmer in the 

Southern Hawke’s Bay. It was calving time and I was 

marking a calf in the paddock, putting a tag in its ear. The 

mother, the cow, took exception to that and charged 

straight at me. I didn’t have enough time to get out of the 

way. She knocked me over, dislocating my neck. That was 

in October 1994, 27 years ago. 

So, your life changed in a moment. What happened 

next? Were you a patient at Burwood Hospital? 

The rescue helicopter arrived at the farm and flew me to 

Palmerston North. I was assessed there and then put on a flight 

down to Christchurch in the middle of the night. I remember 

we arrived at the Burwood Spinal Unit at about 1am. 

And then your road to recovery started, can you 

remember what it was like? 

Yep, I can remember it well. I spent five months at the 

Burwood Spinal Unit. I had the operation where the 

surgeon fused my fifth and sixth vertebrae. Then it was a 

slow recovery. I had to be really patient, taking “small 

steps” at a time. 

I got into the routine of getting down to the gym early 

every day and getting into as much physical rehab as I 

could… I wanted to give my body the best chance of 

regaining as much movement as I could.


—Hamish Ramsden 

If you start looking too far 

ahead then that is going to 

do your head in. 

I was the only tetraplegic at the Spinal Unit at the time, so 

it was quite interesting being in there with other 

paraplegics and walkers and the like, with their varying 

levels of independence. It was a long five months. 

You have plenty of lived experience of an SCI all these 

years later, what advice would you offer to people who 

have just arrived at the Spinal Unit and are getting 

used to their new life? 

The first thing I would say is don’t look too far ahead. Don’t 

think about the big steps like when am I getting home? Will 

I be able to work again? Just concentrate on the here and 

now. It is a cliché but you really have to take it one day at a 

time. You have to focus on the next step. If you start 

looking too far ahead then that is going to do your head in. 

Concentrate on getting through moments. Focus on 

getting through the next five – 10 minutes or the next 

hour and before you know it you are at the end of the day. 

Then you can plan for the next day. For me it is really 

important to not look too far ahead. 

It is natural to feel that life is going to never be the 

same again and take some time to adjust to that, what 

would you say in terms of what you can still achieve 

with an SCI? 

Life is going to change. If you really want to get back to 

your original occupation, then that is hopefully possible. 

It might not be in some cases. My advice would be to 

really find out what your passion is and follow that. 

Life will be different, but it can still be really good. You 

need to accept that life has changed so don’t try going 

back to how you were living before. If you really focus on 

what your passion is and follow that, it will help you get 

through the adjustments ahead. 

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Lizard 

Hamish used to write for the Spinal Network News about 

10 years ago and we are delighted to welcome him back 

—Hamish Ramsden 

My lack of control over my 

temperature drives me nuts. 

boiling in the winter and the summer. I get regular 

visitors during the winter as they know I will always have 

a warm house. My lack of control over my temperature 

drives me nuts and I watch the weather on the news at 

night or the predictor on my phone more assiduously 

than when I was a farmer. I won’t allow myself to get 

caught short in regulating my body temperature as it 

can seriously affect what I’m trying to do, or not do, at 

that time and it comes second in my way of thinking to 

my paralysis. 

Hamish enjoys the warmth of the sun. 

Being a cold-blooded reptile, lizards need to 

regulate their body temperature by exposing 

themselves to external influences. By this I 

mean they need to bake themselves in the 

sun to warm up and find shade and/or water 

to go into to cool down. So, by account of this 

reasoning, and my experience of paralysis, I 

am now including most tetraplegics in a new 

animal species designed specifically for this 

column, called Tetraplegis Lizardarius. 

It is interesting in today’s environment that mankind is 

very worried, and it warrants being so, about climate 

change and the extinction of many species of animals, 

insects, fish et cetera. So, it is indeed ironic to suggest that 

Tetraplegis Lizardarius is going completely against this 

trend and line of thinking. Not only are we keenly 

awaiting the day that we are extinct, with no more 

members of our species due to medical advancements, 

but indeed we are more than able to cope, and dare I say 

enjoy, the subsequent effects of climate change which is 

increasing our environments average temperature by 1 to 

2° over the next few decades. Selfish I know and very 

self-serving but we have trained ourselves to look for 

positives out of anything. 

I am a lizard, and I love the feeling of baking in the sun 

and feeling the hot radiant rays on those parts of my body 

that I can feel, my face and shoulders, it is one of the joys 

of summer and the scourges of winter. This is not 

intended as a moan but just an observation. So, if you ever 

come round to visit me, apart from pouring me a nice 

glass of the good oil of life, just remember to stay out of 

my sun! 

Depending on your level of injury, roughly around the 

cervical fifth or sixth vertebrae, if your injury is at or 

above this level then your temperature control regulator 

is below your level of injury. And so, you cannot 

automatically control your body temperature other than 

the two methods mentioned above, parking up in front of 

the fire or sprinkler or putting on or taking off clothes. 

I am a member of this new species (a C5/6 tetraplegic) and 

as people and friends will attest my home is one shade off 

Hamish has recently published a memoir called Dog’s 

Getting Fat with proceeds going to the NZ Spinal Trust 

and the Catwalk Trust. 

You can read it in our Library at the NZ Spinal Trust, buy 

your own e-copy from Amazon, or contact Hamish 

directly for a copy at hamishramsden@xtra.co.nz


New 

Additions 

December 2021 

Need something to read over 

the summer? Check out these 

new resources available from 

the Resource Centre! 

Lost connections: why you’re 

depressed and how to find hope, 

by Johann Hari, 2019 

Award-winning journalist Johann 

Hari suffered from depression since 

he was a child and started taking 

anti-depressants when he was a 

teenager. Depression and anxiety are 

now at epidemic levels. Why? Across 

the world, scientists have uncovered 

evidence for nine different causes. 

Some are in our biology, but most are 

in the way we are living today. Lost 

Connections offers a radical new way 

of thinking about this crisis. It shows 

that once we understand the real 

causes, we can begin to turn to 

pioneering new solutions - ones that 

offer real hope. 

Last shot: a coming-of-age 

memoir of addiction, ambition, 

and redemption, 

by Jock Zonfrillo, 2021 

From reckless drug addict to one of 

Australia’s top chefs and television 

stars: MasterChef judge Jock 

Zonfrillo's powerful life story will 

shock and inspire. 

Jock’s life spiralled out of control 

when he tried heroin for the first time 

as a teenager while growing up in 

1980s Glasgow. For years he balanced 

a career as a rising star amongst 

legendary chefs with a crippling drug 

addiction that took him down many 

dark paths. 

On New Year’s Eve 1999, Jock shot up 

his last shot of heroin before 

boarding a plane to Sydney, where he 

would find passion and new meaning 

in life in the most unexpected places. 

There would be more struggles 

ahead, including two failed 

marriages, the closure of his prized 

restaurant during COVID-19, his 

time on-country, and some very 

public battles. 

This is his unforgettable story. 

In sickness and in health: love, 

disability, and a quest to 

understand the perils and 

pleasures of interabled romance, 

by Ben Mattlin, 2019 

In Sickness and in Health is an 

“inspiring” story of how a man born 

with spinal muscular atrophy - a 

congenital and incurable 

neuromuscular condition - survived 

childhood, graduated from Harvard, 

married an able-bodied woman, built 

a family with two daughters and a cat 

and a turtle, established a successful 

career in journalism, and lived 

happily ever after. As Mattlin 

considers the many times his 

relationship has been met with 

surprise or speculation by outsiders, 

those who consider his wife a “saint” 

or him just plain “lucky” for finding 

love, he issues a challenge to readers: 

why should the idea of an 

“interabled” couple be regarded as 

either tragic or noble?


Mana Whakatipu: Ngai Tahu 

leader Mark Solomon on 

leadership and life, by Mark 

Solomon with Mark Revington, 2021 

Head of his tribe at a critical moment, 

Mark Solomon can be credited with 

the astute stewardship of the 

settlement that has today made Ngāi 

Tahu a major player in the economy 

and given it long-sought-after 

autonomy. Bold, energetic and 

visionary, for 18 years he forged a 

determined course. In his memoir, Sir 

Mark reflects on his life, on the people 

who influenced him, on what it means 

to lead, and on the future for both 

Ngāi Tahu and Aotearoa New Zealand. 

Illuminating the dark side of 

occupation: international 

perspectives from occupational 

therapy and occupational science, 

edited by Rebecca Twinley, 2020 

The book focuses on less explored 

and under-addressed occupations, it 

is an idea which challenges 

traditional assumptions around the 

positive, beneficial, healthpromoting 

relationship between 

occupation and health. 

Its essential reading for students in 

occupational therapy and science, 

and valuable supplementary reading 

for practitioners. 

My Mother and other secrets, 

by Wendyl Nissen, 2021 

When Wendyl Nissen's mother was 

suffering with Alzheimer's, she told 

some extraordinary stories about her 

background that Wendyl had never 

heard before. 

These stories highlighted how tough 

life was for women and children in an 

era when women had to fight for every 

bit of independence they gained. 

This moving book is about mothers 

and daughters, ageing and the way 

deep family traumas echo down 

through the generations. It is also 

interwoven with wisdom on caring 

for someone with dementia. 

Tikanga: living with the traditions 

of te ao Māori', 

by Francis and Kaiora Tipene, 2021 

Following on from their bestseller, Life 

as a Casketeer, Francis and Kaiora 

Tipene share how they bring the 

traditional values of tikanga Māori 

into day-to-day living, what they know 

about whānau, mahi and 

manaakitanga, and how they live a life 

rich with the concepts of te ao Māori. 

Known for their warm hearts, grace 

and humour, the authors show how 

the traditions of tikanga shapes their 

lives juggling five sons, three 

businesses and a television show - all 

while sustaining a life filled with joy 

and connection. 

New catalogue page!! 

The Resource Centre has a new 

catalogue page – visit the page 

abc.mykoha.co.nz 

All the listed items are available to 

loan from the Resource Centre. 

Contact Bernadette Cassidy for 

more information 

bernadette.cassidy@nzspinaltrust.org.nz 

or phone: 03 383 9484


Finding your Happy Place 

The challenge of finding accessible and liveable accommodation 

to meet full universal design standards. “Unfortunately 

the majority of social housing is inaccessible, turning the 

pool of social housing options into a shallow puddle, 

giving us next to no fully free and informed decision 

when it comes to our housing,” says Josh. 

If someone is fortunate enough to be offered a social 

housing home, Josh says you have no real option but to 

accept it, otherwise you run the risk of being bumped 

down the list and once declined that house is offered to 

someone else on the list. 

“Even if you decline for a valid reason like being too far 

from public transport, work or whānau it’s just the nature 

of the beast,” he says. 

For Josh, home is somewhere were he can go to be safe, 

relaxed and healthy. “To have a home in my opinion is 

one’s safety, being able to go home where you can relax 

and recharge and connect with the people you hold most 

dear, and belong.” 

Josh says to have a home is crucial to a person’s safety and wellbeing. 

Josh Caldwell knows firsthand the challenge 

of finding appropriate and accessible housing 

in New Zealand. 

The Peer and Whānau Support Worker for New Zealand 

Spinal Trust is a person with lived experience of disability 

(PLEx). “As someone who works in the rehabilitation and 

disability sector, I get to see and hear directly how 

housing decisions impact on our SCI community every 

day,” says Josh. 

One of the goals in the Government’s Disability Action 

Plan 2019-2023 is to improve accessibility across the 

country’s housing system. 

Kāinga Ora’s Accessibility Policy (released in 2019) set a 

target for 15 percent of public housing new builds having 

Josh’s dream home isn’t extravagant but captures both 

the feeling and functionality that the word ‘home’ 

incapsulates. “North facing to get the sun, an open 

floorplan with wider doorways (or internal sliding doors 

like Japan) and an accessible kitchen with benches and 

stoves at my height, and a cupboard I can drive into.” 

Having space to entertain friends and family or have 

them stay is also important for Josh. “A bathroom with a 

wet area shower, a vanity that my chair can get under and 

a room wide enough to get around in my chair without 

having to worry about walls. But the game changer would 

be significant storage space for consumables and 

equipment,” adds Josh. 

The Flourishing Together project* excites Josh as it 

demonstrates that research makes a difference, having 

been developed from “those who shared their concerns 

and desires for acceptable and liveable housing,” in the 

New Zealand Spinal Cord Injury Action Plan (NZSCIAP) 

research last year. 

“It emphasises that sharing our stories makes a difference, 

and that people are actually listening,” Josh says. 

“As someone who had very slim options for 

accommodation after my SCI, this piece of research has 

been a long time coming and I cannot wait to see the 

impact it will make.” 

—Josh Caldwell 

Unfortunately the majority of 

social housing is inaccessible. 

*The ‘Flourishing Together’ project is a three-year 

Burwood Academy study which aims to develop strategies 

and tools to allow tāngata whaikaha to equitably 

contribute to policy discussions and planning. This 

includes issues related to housing and home (kāinga).


Thank you to our 

Funders & Sponsors 

The New Zealand Spinal Trust appreciates the generous support of the following 

funders. Without their kind support, the Trust would not be able to deliver the 

variety of services to assist clients to live independent lives right now. 

Permobil is a global leader with over 50 years experience in 

providing advanced medical technology and state-of-the-art 

healthcare solutions. Today, those solutions include the sale and 

rental of power wheel chairs, manual wheelchairs, power assist 

and seating & positioning products. 

Access Community Health has been at the forefront of keeping 

people healthy and safe in their homes since 1927. Today our 

nationwide team of skilled nurses and 3,000 support workers make 

over three million visits per year, ensuring people can remain 

active and independent in their own homes and community. 

Rehabilitation 

Welfare Trust 

The Elizabeth Ball 

Charitable Trust 

Air Rescue Services Ltd 

Deluxe Box 

Riccarton Rotary 


Crusaders 

Canterbury Masonic 


Cube Design 

Rotary Club of Avonhead 

A F W and J M Jones 

Foundation 

Fresh Choice Parklands 

Rotary Club 

of Christchurch 

Hyman Marks 


Burwood 

Volunteers Trust 

Are you a subscriber? 

It’s easy to subscribe to the NZST and it only costs $30 a year. Your subscription 

helps with the printing of the Spinal Network News magazine and helps us 

support the positive futures of people with spinal cord impairment. 

Go to our website and click 

on the red ‘Donate’ button 

www.nzst.org.nz

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