Jan 2017 – Life in Eureka

A baby born – one family kept one secret about their first child from their extended families and friends even workmates. During their baby scan, the nurse found out their pre-baby is not developing into a physical body. This family referral to me via to another organisation from their local specialist and GP last year.Last year, I received a new from this family, and they have a baby born late October – a healthy baby to the young family. The only people knew their secret, were their parents, two bosses and a couple of close friends.This family with a young baby – I called them, Charlie and Debbie as the parent and Alexandra as the baby. This family are the refugee from the Middle East. These names are fictional for this blog. They were grateful to listen to my experience with the friends I went to school, and I am working with one male who is over sixty-five years old.Alexandra was born with cerebral palsy and deaf. She is young and the specialist does not know if she will walk or have the speech to talk… Alexandra’s legs, spine and left side of her arm and hand are not perfect forms. She will continue to do physio regularly at home and the clinic. Charlie and Debbie are involved with one-three support groups this year. They want their daughter to become independent in the family. Charlie and Debbie hope to have some financial support for Alexandra because they are refugee recently in New Zealand. If they were in their homeland and they will suffer hardship financially support, and no helps in medical needs for many children with disabilities. Yes it is true and it is about giving empathy to other people who have not come across with disabled child in the family or friend. Today we have the new technology, parent support groups, equipment for children with special needs and resources of the support groups.Three of the stories, during my primary school at Hamilton West School and Hamilton Deaf Club/Hamilton Deaf Christian Fellowship. At Hamilton West School, we have a young girl called Ankica (fictional) with us. Today she is over fifty years old and doing well. We keep in touch most of the time.Ankica’s family came from Croatia in the early years and they lived in the Northland, New Zealand where there were many places to work as gum diggers. The Dalmatian families lived there in the Northland.Ankica born with cerebral palsy and deaf and nothing will stop her from doing any activities. Today she is still independent and uses advice from us wherever she wants to use, change the plan or to buy something.Her first language is English than New Zealand Sign Language or Total Communication Language. The Total Communication is a made up with Australian Sign Language, English Signed and oral during the 1980’s and 1990’s. Yes, Ankica is deaf and uses one-two hearing aids during the day but she does not sign much. Her life around at home and out in the community, she goes out in the wheelchair either manually or electric power wheelchair. Ankica is a self-employed at home and she used to work at the Workshop with other disabilities adult. Today she is a gardener, doing needleworks for business and outing with her favourite dog. Here is a photo of Ankica and her best friends – Timoti and Steve (fictional) and they helped her around at school even to follow her. The second person – an older man who his parents came from Poland via Germany after the war to New Zealand. His name was Jacek and he born cerebral palsy, speech impaired, limit in literacy and deaf. I visit and assist him every week or every fortnight for his needs. What he has was his left side of his body (leg and hand). Jacek does not use a wheelchair and a pair of hearing aids, and he walks around with his walking stick. His speech is difficult to understand at first, but we know what he was talking about from time to time. Jacek is working five days a week for the same company over forty-six years. The staff of the company looks after him and work together as an equal workplace. Recently the boss emailed me, and we discussed over the new technology which was computer digitalise calculators equipment for parts like nuts, bolts, screw caps – nothing big or small. I visited his boss and Jacek, and we sat down and talked together over the new technology if Jacek can do it or not. The company put Jacek on trial with the new technology and guess what! It was successful for Jacek to overcome the barrier by using the

Source: A secret from the family