Monthly Archive for September, 2005

September 2005 - Tracey Richardson

Published by Tracey Richardson on September 20, 2005 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

Another incredibly busy month juggling lots of different things. Much work was done in preparation for an upcoming charity event in October; a celebrity Duathlon. In this event the public can enter as a 2 person team and a third member is allocated to you for one of the legs. This third person is a “celebrity” Now we use that word VERY loosely as it could be actually anyone from the local mayor to a prominent member of the community to a fully fledged celebrity. Currently we have Rob Hammil, transatlantic rower, Mark Inglis (adventurer and Olympic cyclist) along with a clash of the codes Cameron Brown (5 x Ironman NZ champion) Vs George Christensen (Coast to coast winner). Everyone is racing for CF to raise awareness and fundraise. There is also a kids Duathlon event and the kids are all encouraged to fundraise also. Its masses of fun, but things like this involve a never ending round of paper work, phone calls and administrative duties in order to pull it all off. Work has also started on securing the necessary sponsorships for Ironman 2006 and pulling together the brochure that we send to every athlete securing the necessary corporate sponsorship. So much work goes on behind the scenes and it usually means hundreds of phone calls, emails and many hours pondering all the details that go together to make a successful event and fundraiser.

Initial preparation also got underway for the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman and at the end of the month I spent 3 days with the folks from the Port of Tauranga going around all their various customers giving back to back speeches about the race, Cystic Fibrosis and setting personal challenges. 17 speeches in 3 days - phew….. I was a tad talked out after that, and that’s saying something! Hopefully though it will swell the entry numbers and give us a great base of fundraising athletes to work with.

I was also very privileged to be part of this years judging panel for the 2005 Vodafone World of Difference awards. It was incredibly humbling to met 8 passionate and enthusiastic individuals knowing that some of them would have their futures changed. In the end 4 absolutely amazing women were chosen and each of them helped to ingnite that fire I still have within me for this work. It was a brilliant experience.

Work also got underway in supporting the 300 strong contingent of Vodafone staff as they prepare for the upcoming adidas Auckland marathon. Many of these staff are fundraising for Vodafone partner charities which includes Cystic Fibrosis.

On the PR front there was a fantastic 8 page spread in this months North and South magazine written by Margo Butcher. Margo did a fantastic job at conveying the emotions of CF and the benefits and scope of the work that I do. So fantastic that infact the story has been announced as one of three finalists in the recreation/lifestyle/adventure category of this year’s sports journalism awards. Very cool!

September done now it’s all focus on October and that’s the month my book launches…….. Starting to get very excited now as another goal comes to fruition.

September 2005 - Stephen Denekamp

Published by Stephen Denekamp on September 20, 2005 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

Term 4 today!!!! We now embark on the final part of the school year - amazing. I’ve just come back from a trip to Australia actually (my first time overseas by myself), so I thought I’d spend this report letting you all know what happened.

First I headed off to Melbourne to attend the ‘Schooling and Sexualities’ conference at Deakin University. The conference involved a large group of researchers and youth/health workers. James Sears was the guest speaker from America and there was quite a large NZ contingent. For myself, I had the opportunity to see some of the great programmes that are being run overseas. There were a lot of ideas for workshops that I hope to incorporate into our programmes. Needless to say I took pages of notes during the conference.

After the conference I spent a week in Sydney, meeting up with different support groups and then attending a student conference. I visited the queer social group at The University of New South Wales (UNSW) on my first day, as well as the coming out group and the queer action collective at The University of Sydney. Aside from the large numbers at both of these groups it was good to talk about how their groups were organised and run.

The following day I visit The Gender Centre, which is a drop-in centre providing support for transgender people in NSW - they had some great resources that I was able to bring back with me, and were so much fun to have lunch with. I was also able to meet up with the GLYSSN (Gay and Lesbian Youth Social Support Network) group, which functions similarly to a Rainbow Youth group, and where the young people quickly named me ‘kiwi boy’.

The other two organisations I was able to visit were ACON (community, health and action), and the Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project. Ben, from ACON, was incredibly helpful - we talked about the different programmes that both our organisations run and I have returned with quite a number of resources and will be in touch in the future regarding workshop plans - GREAT STUFF!!! And I also enjoyed hearing about the Anti-Violence project - hopefully we can start a ’safe spaces’ campaign here as well.

The week ended with attending the National Students Union Queer Policy conference held at UNSW. I was impressed with what I saw at this conference - the policy that was coming from the students and the inclusiveness was one of the most amazing things I have seen. Again there was some really good information to bring back to NZ and I’ll be spending some time putting together what I came back with and looking at what can be implemented here.

I think one of the best things about such conferences and trips away is the renewed enthusiasm that one returns with - as I certainly have - meeting people from similar work backgrounds, making friends and that ever elusive word called networking. And a big THANK YOU to everyone who took some time out to meet up with me and have me along to your group - people were very friendly. Before you start thinking about it - It wasn’t all work; I did get in some sightseeing time and was asked around half-a-dozen times to say ‘fish and chips’. It was great, and special thanks to the Vodafone NZ Foundation - this trip would not have been possible without you and the World of Difference programme. Cheers.

“It is, as you say, a matter of perspective.” - Delenn, Babylon 5

September 2005 - Joanne Thorne

Published by Joanne Thorne on September 20, 2005 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

September started out with an extremely special day  - the arrival of Poutahi, our first kiwi chick from the Waimarino Forest.  She arrived at Bushy Park accompanied by Tangata Whenua who came to see her safely in her new temporary home.  This day marked the ‘opening’ of Bushy Park’s kiwi creche and I am sure we will always remember Poutahi for being our first chick. I am pleased to say that she is doing well in the creche and steadily approaching her release weight.

I made some really solid progress this month cementing our role in kiwi recovery in the Waimarino Forest by meeting with iwi and presenting my proposal. The response was very positive and our targets are to catch 5 male birds and nest monitor them over the breeding season. Eggs will be lifted and chicks creched at Bushy Park before being released into the Karioi Rahui Forest. This is an ecological restoration project that contains a remnant population of kiwi, which will be boosted by the release of Operation Nest Egg chicks. To date we have transmitters on 3 male kiwi and weather permitting will catch 2 more in the coming months. Following this successful meeting, we had our first successful egg lift from one of our new Waimarino birds and came away with two healthy fertile eggs.  These are now being incubated at Rainbow Springs along with our Waitotara egg and all three are due to hatch in November.

It looks like two of our Waitotara males may be sitting on eggs and I have been keeping a close (but not too close!) watch on their nest sites. I will head out in early October to do a night excursion to their nests and lift any eggs they are incubating. Two of our Waimarino birds also look like they are nesting so the coming months could produce a good number of eggs. Our total number of monitored birds is now seven so field work is starting to dominate my weekly schedule.

More good news this month came from the Department of Conservation who have accepted our proposal to translocate 40 saddleback into the park next year. This is an exciting project and I am looking forward to a successful translocation.

I was also able to talk to Forest and Bird members at their annual meeting in Wanganui this month. This is always a good opportunity to spread the word about the Bushy Park kiwi project and gain public support.

And now I am heading out to the Waimarino Forest to do some nest monitoring although I must say given the weather outside it is awfully tempting to stay in and keep tapping away at my computer!

September 2005 - Diana Hickey

Published by Diana Hickey on September 20, 2005 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

With all the tearing around to meetings, conferences, and organising that went on in August, I was glad to be so organised in September. I went into hospital on the 2nd to have some “Gremlins” (my affectionate term for several painful lumps, bumps, and bubbles that have plagued me for years) removed, Hurray, the Gremlins are gone. The flip side of that meant that I was off my feet for a week and a half (and a bit wobbly for the first few days back at work!). So I hit the wards again on the 13th, with plenty of patients to see. Luckily, Tony White (my trusty supervisor) was at my side for several appointments. As the month ticked by we had a visit from a local music therapist keen to do some research at the Pre- and Post-Op children’s day ward. Again, hurray… This is an area of the hospital that often gets over-looked as the children are in for such short periods of time; however their anxiety levels are often very high waiting for procedures. It’s an excellent place to offer such an intervention. The planning continued for the Siblings Day, where our patients’ brothers and sisters would get a taste of what happens in the hospital.
The siblings day finally arrived and with much excitement 9 kids, (brothers and sisters of kids with cancer) got to explore the CHOC unit and experience some of the things that happen while having treatment… .not having Chemotherapy or Radiation, but seeing what cancer cells look like and what different people’s blood looks like (yes it is different!) They also checked out how bacteria cultures grow and how bloods are processed… lovely outing just before lunch!
Then it was off to McDonalds where no-ones appetite seemed to be affected at all. After lunch the kids came to the art therapy room for a session of exploring what it had been like for them up to that point of the day. They took the chance to draw pictures for our first “Siblings gallery” on CHOC and after a treasure hunt they were able to come and how their work off to their parents.
We have planned a weekend for the sibling kids to go to Hanmer Springs, to “get away” for a while. There we’ll offer art and craft; lots of outdoor activities and of course visit the pools.

At the end of the month I attended a NALAG conference (National Association for Loss and Grief) on “How families make meaning in grief”. This also relates to how they face loss, which can translate as a child being in hospital for a length of time, a parent moving away from the house or even a pet passing away. The presentation was given by Dr. Janice Nadeau a world renowned family counsellor. I found her work to be really inspiring and some of the interventions that she uses with families in times of transition enlightening. She also uses art making and play as ways for the family to express their grief or pain. A couple of days later I attended another talk by Janice on how families deal with trauma… but thats another diary’s tale… till then, go well.

September 2005 - Debbie Fewtrell

Published by Dr. Debbie Fewtrell on September 20, 2005 in Diary Updates. 0 Comments

Parent’s Biomedical Workshop, Auckland

In view of the plea for more information and support as a follow-on from the recent Autism NZ Auckland conference, I held a very enjoyable evening workshop for parents and allied professionals continuing the aim of up skilling and empowering those touched by Autism Spectrum Disorder. I began by presenting information on the many roles of metallothionein, a protein involved with metal detoxification, the immune system, gut and brain function. This protein underperforms in autism. We followed with an interactive question and answer session.

The group will continue to meet 2-3 monthly with a similar format. Next time we will focus on the DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) Conference, USA, I will have recently returned. The date is Tuesday 22nd November; contact Auckland Branch of Autism NZ information or to register.

Meeting with Professor Bruce Arroll, University of Auckland.

I felt privileged to be part of a small meeting with the Professor of General Practice, the main theme of which was research in integrated medicine. The interest in integrated medicine in NZ both in the public and professional realms is rapidly increasing. Dr Paul Butler is spearheading a movement to ensure that integrated medicine is interwoven into the NZ medical system in a quality, research - based and unified manner. Using the biomedical treatment of autism as an example we discussed the logistics of how valid research could be undertaken to prove positive outcomes. The Prof gave me valuable advice on the best way to approach the issue, the complexity being that biomedical treatment involves multiple simultaneous interventions.

The School of Pharmacy at the University of Auckland recently announced the formation of an Herbal and Complementary Medicine Research Group. We hope to link in with their expertise to produce supportive studies in this exciting field.

Autism Medical Practitioner Training Conference, NZ- Feb 17-19th 2006

I’m pleased to be able to say that the conference now has enough registered doctors that it will definitely go ahead. Speakers are booking their flights and we are beginning to work on the program detail. We intend that the workshop will be practical, evidence based and interactive. The goal will be to teach medical practitioners effective biomedical approaches to improve the health and neurological function of ASD children.

The word of hope is spreading, nicely illustrated by a conversation I had with a Queenstown GP who rang me recently. She said she had been told about biomedical treatment by the parents of an ASD child in her practice. They left her with information and my phone number. She told me quite frankly that her initial reaction was “What a load of c***!” However she went on to explain that having read the information she began to think it actually made sense. Having phoned me, curious to hear more, she is now hoping to attend the Doctor training. What a turnaround! I’m sure there are plenty more Doctors out there ready to take this approach on board. Interested practitioners may contact sally@acnem.org for conference information.

Documentary

Whilst in Auckland I met up with Rob Harley, a film maker who is producing a Vodafone Foundation documentary of the WOD winners. We met at the family home of one of my patients to discuss on film the success of the treatment for this particular child. Rob was obviously quite blown away by the story. He commented that he was expecting be filming a child with obvious issues, when he was met by the young boy he thought must be at the wrong house. Rob is keen to produce a piece for the TV. This obviously hinges on the family’s thoughts on the issue. Watch this space!

Life on the home front!

During my stay in Auckland I got a call from my husband, Chris. “There’s good news and bad news! he said. The good news was that Bernadette our kunekune pig had delivered seven beautiful piglets. The bad news was that she had died soon after with a prolapsed uterus. This left my husband single-handedly caring for our 4 kids (including 18 month old twins) and 7 orphan piglets, the latter requiring a rigorous 4-hourly bottle feeding regime in the laundry. What a man!I appreciate his willingness to be flexible around his work to support my endeavors, without this the World of Difference program would not have been an option for me. I also know there are 7 little piglets who appreciate him too!