Changing Perceptions 55th Edition
M
any of you will agree that 2016 was a particularly challenging and busy year.
December 2016
I cannot believe that we have already had some of our year end celebrations at our projects.
The Association was blessed with not one but two
brand new Avanzas to transport our children safely to and from our projects. We are extremely grateful for these amazingly generous donations from Sibaya Community Trust and Toyota SA Motors.
CREST and CWAC had an absolute ball with their disco. The children were super excited.
The children at Reunion were also treated to a fabulous Christmas celebration and their nativity play was just to sweet. I take the opportunity to wish you and your families a blessed Christmas and a fabulous 2017.
P O Box 10213 • Ashwood • 3605 Telephone: +27 (0)31 700 3956 • Facsimile: +27 (0)866 153 913 Email: info@kzncerebralpalsy.co.za • Website: www.kzncerebralpalsy.org.za Banking details: First National Bank, Account Number: 508 11 33 0451; Branch Code: 221626 (Pinetown) Our Association is a registered Non-Profit (002-154 NPO) and Public Benefit Organisation (PBO 930000042) with Section 18A Tax Exemption status
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After a long fight we bid farewell to our dearest Dalene on the 04th November 2016.
WELCOME TO OUR NEW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Penny de Vries Thabisilie Sishi Douglas Hawkey Lindi Ngubane Phumla Maphumalo Emmanuel Mdlondlongi Jenny Pahl Colleen Bailey
We will miss your enthusiasm this year especially at the CREST/CWAC Christmas Concert. Our thoughts are with Rina and Misty as they adjust to life without Dalene.
Diary of a Cerebral Palsied Twenty-something
As this year draws to a close, there are many of us that cannot wait to say goodbye to 2016. There has been so much upheaval and so many surprises, both globally and locally. Julia has also had many extreme challenges this year and is feeling the same way. Despite this, she is currently in a very good place. She has conquered so much with such resolve and purpose that one day we may look back and say, “2016 was a blessing in disguise.” It started in March when her service dog was due to arrive; the day she had been waiting for with great excitement and anticipation for so long. None of us are sure of the reasons for what happened next. The day Emma, the dog, arrived with Maxine, the trainer, Julia started to behave in a very weird manner. Without going into details, we had to hospitalise her in the middle of the night; she had not slept for two whole days; she seemed to be having hallucinations and was certainly out of touch with reality. The diagnosis was a psychotic episode. The psychiatrist has some theories regarding the cause but all of it is conjecture; the complicating factor of being cerebral palsied, being overwhelmed by the responsibility of the service dog combined with her anti-depressants are possible reasons. All of us in the family simply wanted our old Julz back; that chatty, chirpy, sometimes tactless and often loud character. Unfortunately the dog had to be passed on to someone else because she was in no condition to manage her. The good news is that in the short time Emma was with her, Julia managed her well. Now she has confidence in her abilities so when another dog is available, she will be fine. Her recovery was to be fraught with difficulty.
Diary no. 52 by Penny de Vries
She was stabilised then discharged on different medication. One of the meds gave her uncontrollable shakes so, a month later, it was back into hospital to correct that. She then had a severe and rare reaction to the next med they tried. Thank goodness the doctors picked it up early enough as it triggered a reaction called Stephen Johnson Syndrome. This syndrome can be fatal if not diagnosed soon enough and only occurs in 0.07% of people on this medication. Julia was so weak, so ill; it was frightening. I was not sure if she would make it and nor was she. She even gave herself up to God when she was alone in her ward by saying silently, “Take me now if you need to, and just let my family know that I am at peace.” Now we joke about how she kicked Stephen Johnson in the butt and survived a “deadly rash”. It took at least 3 months for her to recover her strength. For all that time she could not get herself on the toilet or into her wheelchair or even shower herself. Luckily, her marvelous caregiver, Selinah, and her equally marvelous boyfriend, Gwillym, have been pillars of strength during this difficult time. Most of all, she has had to fight on through it all and has done so with great fortitude and courage. She has a renewed vigour for life and is ready to take on new challenges. She is currently teaching English First Additional Language to adults studying for matric. She volunteered when she discovered that they had no English teacher and no resources to pay anyone. This is mutually beneficial as she is receiving much needed stimulation and interaction with other adults and they are receiving help with their studies. To all of you who may have had difficult times, may you have a blessed Christmas or festive season, whatever your denomination. Say after me:
Bring it on, 2017!
“1 Year = 365 opportunities”
- Unknown