feature
Cheeky Tui Photographing these native birds helped Rex Auty recover after his stroke.
"A stroke is like a bolt of lightning out of the blue, I really did not see it coming," Rex says. He describes going to bed one night in February 2016 as usual. When he woke up, he could no longer use his right side. "Somehow I got downstairs to my partner Carole’s bedroom, switched the light on to wake her, and realised I could not talk." Carole instantly understood what was happening and rang the ambulance. By the time it arrived, Rex could no longer walk or talk. He was whisked to Whangarei Hospital. Over the course of his recovery, Rex regained these abilities, although with limited functionality on his right side. 18 FamilyCARE
This meant he couldn’t hold a glass of water with his right hand, let alone use his camera. As photography was a huge part of his working life as part of his career in marketing, this discovery shook Rex to his core. "It was a big moment as it meant I could not do a simple task, and they do not make left handed cameras!" When Rex returned to work, he’d have to take a power nap every day to recharge his brain. And there were other challenges. "There are a million little steps that make up one normal step. Walking my dog for 3km a day was a goal when I got out of hospital and this taught me to walk again and have space by myself."
"I HAVE SEEN FOUR TUI TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME AS HEARING THE DISTINCTIVE CALL FROM THEIR SENTRY POSTS. WHETHER THIS CHANGES EVERY YEAR WITH THE PARENTS KICKING OUT THEIR YOUNGSTERS AFTER AWHILE, I DON’T KNOW."
www.wecare.kiwi
