PLEASE DONATE YOUR ORGANS!

Let's start with the message I hope to leave at the finish - PLEASE do not take your organs to heaven or the grave or wherever you believe you go when you die.

Every day of every week in every country on Earth, someone is dying because they need an organ transplant. Often, the transplant only buys them a few years or even months, but imagine what they can do or achieve in that time.

What did you do in the past two months that made you feel good or made others' lives better or happier? How about in the past year? The past 5 years?

Here's some inspiration, if you need it:

When Tianna was 18 months old doctors found two holes in her heart and two blocked arteries, faults that left her breathless and with a blue tinge to her skin. Over the years the condition worsened, leading to an ever-lengthening list of symptoms.

''Walking is really hard,'' Tianna said 18 months ago. ''I get heart palpitations, chest pains, nose bleeds. I get light-headed and get leg cramps and back pain. I'm in and out of hospital. I don't have much of an immune system.''

The illness had affected her social life, as it became hard to keep up with her friends.

''Sometimes, they end up carrying me,'' she said. ''I feel like I drag them back a bit because they have to walk slowly with me. I tell them to walk on and I'll walk just behind them at the back of the pack. It takes a toll on your self-esteem, trying to keep up with them and seeing everyone do stuff that you can't.''

Major surgery was necessary and the Ingleburn teenager became one of the 1700 Australians on waiting lists for organ and tissue transplants. She also became a face of the Journey of Hope campaign, aimed at getting Australians to discuss the issue and to encourage more people to register as organ donors. The campaign by Transplant Australia endeavours also to attract more funding to support people who are on waiting lists, organ recipients and their families.

Here's what I think is the saddest part of the donor/transplant story. According to this story in today's paper (I'll post the link), only 309 Australians donated organs last year. Close to 6 million Australians are on the Organ Donor Registry (in other words, they WANT to donate their organs and save lives) but only 58% of families allowed the organ and tissue donations to proceed. That means 42% of families stopped the donations from happening.

HOW DARE THEY!!!! How dare they go against their relatives wishes AND how dare they destroy what may be only possible chance another person has to have a better life  -or to have a life at all! 

HOW DARE THEY!!! If religion is the reason, then I am even angrier!

My drivers licence says I am a willing donor. My Will says I am willing donor. I have registered with the relevant web sites and organisations. And now this blog tells the world, if they care to read it, that I am a willing donor.  NO ONE has my permission to stop my organs or tissue being donated when I die.

Please, do all you can to make your wishes known. tell everyone. register with your local Transplant/Donation service or authority.

Please - don't take your organs with you when you die.

Tianna's story

Knit-wits rule!

From time to time I like to reminisce about days gone by (and, in the process, sound exactly like my parents did, thus boring the socks off of anyone under 40). Thanks to the changes I’ve seen in my lifetime – especially during my working years – I am the proud possessor of skills that are totally useless in 2012.

The short list is:

• I can (safely) tap a beer keg. Not the new ones, but the old fashioned type. These are the ones that, if badly managed, can result in injury or even death as the rod flies up and into your head (usually entering the head or, at best striking you very hard under the chin).
• I can change a ribbon on a manual typewriter.
• With a little bit of refresher practice, I think i can remember my copy fitting formulas, so that I can tell you how many words at a given font size will fit a given space.
• I still remember most of my proofreaders marks (and still use them, much to the confusion of my work colleagues who wonder why I wrote # and 'stet'  on their document.)
• I (vaguely) recall how logarithms work – and I can certainly do long division without a calculator.
• Although I never learnt how to cast on or cast off, I can knit – but I forget how to do pearl stitches.

I seem to recall there was a (shot lived) fad at primary school. A lot of boys were knitting in arts and craft classes and I recall that the needles were overly thick, perhaps to make it easier for kid’s fingers. I made a longish scarf, only because knitting a big long thing was all I could do.

It’s this last, lost skill that came to mind most recently, thanks to the ABC’s annual ‘Knit In’ promotion. I was still home from work and listened to a lot more radio than I would normally be able to and so, the annual ‘Knit In’ got more of my attention than usual.

The event was, as always, remarkably successful. More than 1,000 knitters headed along to the ABC studios in Sydney and beavered away knitting squares (I think they’re around 8” square or so), which are then packed up and sent off to be sewn together to make blankets.  These are sent overseas to people in need.

http://www.abc.net.au/local/videos/2012/08/04/3560598.htm

The ABC ‘Knit In’ was launched 10 years ago, to support the main initiative program, called ‘Wrap with Love. ‘Wrap with Love’ began in 1993 and, since then, over 255,000 wraps have been knitted (square by square), sewn together and sent off overseas.  There have also been around 8,000 distributed around Australia, with over 3,000 going to victims of the Victorian bushfires in 2009.

http://www.artsandcraftsnsw.com.au/Wrap.htm

Here’s another of my special ‘likes’ – a lot of people doing relatively small things to make a real difference in the world. In the first year, the founder (the late Sonia Gidley-King OAM) and 30 supporters sent 38 wraps off to Mozambique in a container of farm machinery. So, the 250,000+ total is even more impressive!

They got into the spirit in my local are as well, as reported in The Leader.

http://www.theleader.com.au/news/local/news/general/knitting-warm-gifts-for-the-needy/2646982.aspx

Time to break out the knitting needles Trev! J

The real value of smaller things...............

I LOVE this stuff:).

All too often, the business world and people in general get themselves caught up with pictures that are just too big. I recently signed on for 'Dry July' and managed to raise $100; $40 of which came from generous donations from family and friends. Overall, 'Dry July' raised about AU$3.4 million, a lot of which came, I'm sure, from smaller fundraising efforts like my own. (See http://www.dryjuly.com/ ) 

In our local communities, there are stories every week about community groups needing relatively small amounts to get over tough times or even just to survive. Today's Leader contains a great story about one such organisation that's been saved because of the generosity of some locals. No huge donations were received, but the sum of the parts made up the lifesaving amount.

http://www.theleader.com.au/news/local/news/general/community-rushes-to-support-sylvanvale/2641903.aspx

The program that was in jeopardy was an after school hours care program for children aged 5 -11 who have 'high needs". Obviously, these special kids can't be looked after by just anyone outside of school hours. The tragedy was that the shortfall in funding was just $7,800 and, as one person wrote in the Comments section on the leader's website, it probably cost more for the decision maker (in a Government department) to make the decision that the $7,800 that they are refusing to provide.

http://www.theleader.com.au/news/local/news/general/children-in-jeopardy-special-care-may-be-axed/2628911.aspx

But, the money has been raised from the local community, proving yet again the value of local support in our communities.

I'm back at work next week and my mantra to anyone who'll listen will be "Think Locally and Act Locally" - because thinking globally won't help your, your business or your community anywhere near as much as entrenching yourself and your business in your local community will.

Nurses - part two.

My recent post about nurses deserves a big brother. The experience at RPA lasted around 48 hours and gave me a taste of what a ward nurse's life is like. I came home at the weekend after 7 days in Strathfield Private Hospital and wanted to provide a further insight into a nurse's life - from a patient's point of view.

OK, so details first. I was in for a partial nephrectomy. They cut you open (in my case, the incision is around 18" long) and remove the tumor from your kidney. They have to cut through 7 layers of muscle and all of those layers are stitched back together and have to heal. My operation was a complete success and, in fact, left me with more of my kidney (80%) than everyone hoped for.

Now, enter the nurses, as the recovery begins. This ward was made up of either urology patients like me or osteo patients (knee replacements, etc), so the recovery period, it seems, falls to fairly standard patterns and procedures. It begins the day after the operation, when they try to get you out of bed. This is for very good reasons, as congestion settles on your lungs very quickly and is an ideal breeding ground for infections. Just how easy it is to get one of these, I'll explain later.

Well Day #2 didn't go as planned and I couldn't get off the bed. Excruciating pain and I wanted to hit the next person who tried to get me up, but they came back and tried again in the afternoon - because it is SO important. It's important for fighting the congestion, but it's also important for other reasons. My second night was really uncomfortable, due to some friction grazes from the mattress and general  muscle aches from too long in bed.

Here's a tip for all you blokes reading this - the sooner you get up, the sooner the catheter comes out, ok?

Well day #3 saw be raise myself off the bed relatively easily, albeit painfully. Still needed a sponge bath in bed, but sat up in a chair and walked a little. Physio now becomes the most important person in my life, nagging me (necessarily) to get breathing deeply and to cough up phlegm. Ouch! (I'm writing this a full week later and coughing is still very painful). Day #3 also saw a temperature spike, because the bugs were loving my chestfull of muck that I hadn't been able to cough up yet.

From day #4, the nurses really come into their own. Now it's their job to get me up each day etc. The Ward Manager. Sister Hong is the sort of person every team needs as a leader. She led by example - "Do as I do" and is clearly respected by both her staff and the doctors. The catheter comes out (yay!) and is followed by my first shower, where I'm being treated with dignity and respect. By the end of the day I was using the toilet on my own.


I also had dressings changed and bandage-blisters tended too. Was the person gently removing the messy bandages and carefully tending to the painful open sores really the same person who was determined to drag me up off the bed on Sunday, despite my cries of "NO!!!"??


Another temperature spike on Day #5 brought on a stern lecture about the need to breath, walk and cough. Mixed with all of this Jekyll & Hyde personality came a person only a little younger than my self who would stop by for a chat briefly and we'd share stories of what it's like to manage Gen Y. A typical day for Sister Hong was 12 hours and, even on an unusually quiet Thursday, staff were set to work checking stores etc. It reminded my of a printing manager, taking advantage of some downtime to fit in some much needed maintenance.


The Ground Floor West team followed this example and went about their work in the most efficient and caring manner. I'm reminded of mothers with big families who can somehow keep an eye on 4 or 5 kids at the same time. They also cheerfully allowed my in-laws and Johnny's extended family to have a virtual picnic in the corridor when they came to visit me en mass. (They brought food, as always - I'm still nil by mouth at this stage. When I got out of bed the day after their visit, there are 2 cans of coke and 4 oranges beside my bed, in case I needed a snack during the night)


And so to my final day. I'm not allowed to leave until Sister has checked my dressings and given me her personal instructions about follow up care etc. Paperwork is brought down my another nurse and all is set to go. I'm waiting for my lift in the lounge outside reception, even though I was told I could stay in my room if I wanted to. As I said my final goodbye to Sister Hong and her team, I could sense a degree of distance already forming. I was going and there were sick people who needed her attention. I was a bit like a tradesman's finished work - no time to sit back and be satisfied, there's another urgent job to get on with.


And then, just when you think that chapter is closed completely, Sister Hong wanders over when she sees me pacing around the reception corridor (sitting for too long is a no-no, remember?). "You OK buddy? Need anything?".


No Sister, I'm fine thanks :). And it's thanks you and your team. Dr Sved did a great job on my operation ans the staff physio gave me some great self-help tools, but it's the nurses who made me well again.

Nurses definitely get counted amoungst Stuff that's good in the World' :)

A wonderful life - and then some!

This post is written right in the middle of NAIDOC Week. For anyone not reading this in Australia, here's an explanation:

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. The week is a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities and to support your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

NAIDOC originally stood for ‘National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee’. This committee was once responsible for organising national activities during NAIDOC Week and its acronym has since become the name of the week itself.

There are a couple of reasons why this week of events is a bit special for me. Firstly, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy was established on the lawn outside what is now Australia's old Parliament House on my birthday in 1972 - January 27.  It started off a year of political awakening for me, as a 13 y o student, that culminated in the election of the Whitlam labor Government in November - and we all know how that ended a few years later!

The second and by now the most important reason that I like all that is associated with NAIDOC Week is the depth of local activities across local communities.  The list just from NSW alone has just over 70 events and activities across the state, most of them outside of the Sydney CBD and in suburban or regional communities and local government areas.

http://www.naidoc.org.au/naidoc-events/event/?mylist=New+South+Wales&check=Check

Some of the events are held outside of the week itself for a variety of reasons. Homebush Bay High School held their event early because NAIDOC Week itself falls during the school holidays, while at Blacktown; they have the Western Sydney NAIDOC Dinner dance on July 13.

There’s also a series of awards presented during the week and I was particularly taken by the story of the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Ned Cheedy. Ned Cheedy died in April this year, aged 105.

(I’m aware at this point that there may be some cultural sensitivity associated with writing or talking about aboriginal people who have passed on. I mean no offence and hope that I can be forgiven if I am breaking any cultural taboos here.)

I remember a conversation once with my ‘adopted’ grandpa, Pop Bresnahan. He was born early in the 20^th century and told me that, in his lifetime, man had conquered the power of flight and, by the time he was retiring from work, was sending men into outer space and had landed on the moon. Even in my own lifetime, we’ve seen the invention and introduction of cassette tapes to CD’s to MP3 players, mobile telephones that first looked like brick blocks and are now miniature and can have video and a myriad of other applications, Kodak instamatic cameras to multi megapixel digital cameras on mobile phones, etc. etc. etc.

But, imagine what Ned Cheedy saw in his 105 year lifetime! He spent pretty much all of his life in Western Australia, mainly in the Pilbara region. As an adult, he worked tirelessly to rehabilitate people addicted to alcohol, having seen first-hand the devastating effect it had on people’s lives and on families and communities.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/aborigines-lose-a-guiding-light-with-revered-elders-death-20120402-1w8ve.html

He traveled extensively in his region, educating students/children, archaeologists, anthropologists, environmentalists and biologists and helping them to gain a better understanding of the land that he called home. Importantly he was a vital link across generations. Family members who were elders when Ned was a child would have witnessed first-hand the early settlement of Australia and their parents would remember times before white people came to the country. His experiences and his ability to share them with others are a strong testimony to the value of older people in our communities.

I’m a little over half of Ned’s final age and I can’t imagine what the next 50 years will be like, if I could ever live so long. What’s GOOD about this story is that Ned was listened to, respected and recognised for his life, his experiences, his work and his contributions to society, even though I’m sure each one of those lives he helped would have seemed like a relatively small achievement to him.

Next time I’m asked: “Who, from history, would you invite to a dinner party at your place?” Ned will be on the list, along with my g. g. grandfather (the first of my ancestors to migrate to Australia from England) a few others.

Feel like commenting on this post? Tell me who you’d invite to your place.

Little by little - that's how the job gets done!

Wars are rarely won with just one major battle. Napoleon had his Waterloo of course, but that was the final battle in a long war.  The struggle to find cures for the various forms of cancer is another war that is being one, slowly but surely, but people in communities all over the world, raising their relatively small amounts of money to fund research, technology and ongoing care for cancer victims and their families.

I've written in an earlier post about Relay for Life. On the global scale, the Sutherland RFL is one very large example of an event that is held in communities world-wide. Few of them raise anywhere near the same amounts as this fantastic community event in the Sutherland and St George region, but all of them contribute much-needed funds to help with their common goal.

This post is intended to highlight just a few of those smaller events and activities happening at any one time around the world - each of which adds to the total ' war chest'. None of them are as well-known as the McGrath Institute, the PCI or Relay for Life and, thanks to their local community newspaper, they receive both recognition of and assistance in publicising their events and activities.

In Penrith, New South Wales: Young musicians get together to raise funds with a $10 per head concert.
http://www.penrithstar.com.au/news/local/news/general/young-musos-performance-to-fight-cancer/2598552.aspx

From Westchester County in  NY, USA: A local Relay for Life committee put a new twist on their event, with a Canine Relay for Life.
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=46080

In Ballarat, Victoria: Two students raise $3200 for the Ballarat Cancer Research Centre, the largest non-metropolitan cancer research centre in Australia.
http://www.thecourier.com.au/news/local/news/general/loreto-students-get-behind-cancer-centre/2598041.aspx

From Howick [it's pronounced 'Hoyck" folks :) ] in Scotland: Four sisters who have all survived breast cancer (one of them had it twice!) took part in their local version of RFL "Race for Life" in Dundee.
http://www.hawick-news.co.uk/news/scottish-headlines/sisters-take-part-in-charity-race-1-2360539

There are events like these happening every week, somewhere in the world. Little by little, this rotten illness is going to be cured one day.  My mum had polio as a youngster and, thank goodness, was able to walk unaided eventually. Polio is pretty much a thing of the past, certainly in Australia. Beating cancer CAN be done - but it's going to take time... and money!

It's finally over for Lindy Chamberlain

Like a lot of Australian’s – and probably people all around the world – I was sceptical of Lindy Chamberlain’s claim that a dingo stole baby Azaria in 1980. It all sounded so far-fetched and the media were generally anti-Lindy when it came to reporting the story.

There was wild speculation about Jehovah’s Witnesses and other 'non conformist'religions having strange rituals, about “Azaria” meaning something weird or strange in another language, the parent’s attitude and demeanor when interviewed or in court (sees Lindy’s comments about that in the story I’ve linked here by the way) and about the likelihood of a dingo being strong enough to carry off a nine week old baby anyway.

The one thing that stopped me from being ‘anit-Lindy’ was the element of a mother’s love for her baby. Azaria was not her first child and the pressures that new mothers face (post-natal depression, etc) didn’t seem to be a factor. The thought that Lindy could have murdered Azaria (with scissors, I think was the verdict) was just totally against common sense to me.

I have to admit, I was a bit of a coward when it came to this case. I avoided discussions where possible and felt really uncomfortable around people who had strong opinions either way on the matter. The case seemed to polarise society, with the majority believing in her guilt.

Both Lindy and her husband Michael were convicted. Appeals and court cases followed and the conviction was eventually quashed and she received around $1M in compensation. Her marriage broke up her family was split. At least one of her children has been severely emotionally affected by it (traumatised wouldn’t be too strong a word, it seems).

And now, 32 years after the event, a coroner has finally decreed that it was a dingo. So, why does my blog focussing on things that are good in the world contain a story about Lindy Chamberlain??

Read the story in the attached link. You’ve got to admire this woman and her attitude. She is congratulating a journalist/entertainer who apologised on-air for the way she judged Lindy and her husband. I don’t know about anyone reading this blog entry, but I think I’d have understood if Lindy had come out and said: “F*** the lot of you! How do you feel now you heartless bastards?”

Instead, she describes Wendy harmer as ‘courageous’ and complimented her for apologising.

And THAT’S one of the things that are good in the world today.

Sydney Morning Herald Story today

In case you haven't heard already, nurses are the GREATEST!

Hmm. So much for my commitment to a weekly blog, huh?

In my defence, I spent a few days in hospital and a week or so recovering at home after having my appendix out. As is the case with appendicitis, you don’t get time to plan these things and my attack hit at 1am on a Thursday morning.

End result is I missed the Relay for Life and also the annual golf day for the St George School for Children with Disabilities – two really worthy causes that are close to my heart, but for very different reasons. In fact, I’ll make the school a topic of a blog entry at a later date.

Anyway, this entry is all about nurses, so it’s time I started writing about them I thinkJ

When you have tor appendix out at RPA Hospital, you end up recovering in the colorectal ward. My roomies were older men with a variety of gastro/colorectal problems. For anyone reading this who has a modicum of medical knowledge, you’ll know how smelly and, frankly, messy the ward can become in this part of the hospital. Idon't know for sure, but I'll bet the nurses moan a little inside when they find out that they're rostered here.

Stop right there – I want to make it clear that I’m not complaining, ok? Public hospital, shared ward – you take what you can get.

I was the lucky one – in and out in less than 48 hours. One of my room mates had severe pain and had to wear a colostomy bag.  These bags have to be emptied at some stage. They contents are drained into a plastic jug (I think they may have to record the output levels, but don’t quote me) and then carried out for disposal.

Enter the nurses.

Of the 7 different nurses who worked on shifts while I was there (one was a student), one of them had a severe cold, another had a backache and ALL of them deserve to be paid way more than they get each week.

On my first night, I couldn’t wait for the buzzer to be answered at 2am so I could get a new urine bottle. I was still in pain as it was just 5 hours since the operation and i couldn't have made it to the bathroom. There was a bowl on my table and I had to use that instead. No harassment or grumpiness from the nurse on overnight duty as she carried the bowl full of my pee out of the room -  just an apology for not getting to me in time.

Long story short is that nurses are the best people in the world. Sick people usually get a bit self-centred and demanding. The RPA nurses coped with all of that from their patients (I think I can exclude myself – I honestly tried hard to be as little trouble as possible) and still had room for a smile every time they came to see me.

Thanks guys – you’re appreciated, I promise.

Who would YOU be Relaying for?

Update - I didn't make it to Relay. Went to hospital on Thursday and had my appendix out. More on that little story in the next post, but I am SO disappointed to miss RFL 2012.

This is one that’s managed to become close to my heart.

Relay for Life is a worldwide event, started relatively recently, that has grown, in Australia especially, to be an enormous source of funds for the cancer Council.

In 2006, while I was working at another community newspaper, I first heard about Relay for Life. Because the management of the newspaper had their own personal experiences with cancer, RFL became a cause that they enthusiastically embraced. Good work was done, much needed funds were raised for the fight against cancer and I’d like to think that some people’s lives were directly, positively impacted by the efforts of all involved.

Not long after I joined Fairfax Community Newspapers, a delegation from the Sutherland Shire Relay for Life approached the Leader for support for the 2007 event. We readily agreed and the work began. Long story short – the 2006 Relay raised $164,000 – in 2007 the funds raised reached $280,000. The Committee agreed that the Leader’s involvement was a major contributing factor and the relationship was henceforth set in stone.

Relay for Life began in the USA in 1985, so it’s a relatively young event and it’s grown worldwide being held in 21 countries. The Sutherland Shire Relay for Life (there isn’t one in the St George region and the Shire people welcome those from St George with open arms and hearts) is now the biggest in NSW. It’s only been going for 10 years.

Every year’s results have exceeded expectations and targets. The 2011 Relay raised $654,000 and, importantly, more and more local businesses and organisations have either become involved or have increased their level of support. The first Saturday and Sunday in May see an army of volunteers and works descend on the Sylvania Athletics track and it’s a credit to the organising committee that the event goes like clockwork – rain, hail or shine!

Last years event was hit by miserable weather conditions and the only thing not dampened was the enthusiasm of all of those in attendance. Of course, most of the funds are raised in the weeks and months leading up to the event.

This year, the Leader has been able to increase their support as well. Thanks to the support for Relay for Life from the advertisers in the section, the Leader has published an 8 page wrap for the event. The story of the 2012 Relay is here.  http://www.theleader.com.au/news/local/news/general/come-help-celebrate-our-community-spirit/2542348.aspx

This weekend will be the third year that Johnny and I have judged the ‘Best Table Setting” at the Relay banquet. It’s basically a big picnic and relayers are encouraged to decorate their tables with a team (or any other!) theme. Johnny’s the expert, I provide the comic relief!

Two years ago, when we made the winner’s announcement, the Chairman Rod Coy asked me the same question he asks everyone at the event; “Who are you relaying for?” because I’d lost an uncle, a cousin and second cousin in the past – three generations of the same family – to cancer, my answer was easy and I’d always added that this terrible illness touched almost very family in some way.

Jump forward to may 2011 and I’d returned only a few days before from Uncle Alan’s funeral, while my brother-in-law Bill Mansfield had passed away in February, both from cancer. Needless to say, when asked:” Who are you relaying for Trevor?” I had a completely different answer.

This weekend, I’ll be there along with thousands of others, doing my very small part to help raise funds. Johnny will be there on Saturday evening, judging the contest again and, of course, adding colour and flair to the event

I can’t think of a better example of a community coming together to help others. If you’re reading this from somewhere else in Australia or the World, get behind your local Relay, if you haven’t already done so.

Kids ARE the future!:)

During a rare tidy up at home (a REAL tidy up - not one of those where I find stuff months later that my dear partner has hidden it from view as visitors arrive), forced upon me because of the need to change cars recently, I found a copy of my will. Yeah, it's up do date, I thought - until i read it!!

Long story short is that is was hopelessly OUT of date and needs fixing. It's led me to consider making a bequest or two. One will be to the St George and Sutherland Medical Research Foundation. At least one other will be to the Sunrise Children's Village in Cambodia.

I don't know about you dear reader, but I've always thought that well-intentioned, well managed and accountable support programs for children should be encouraged and supported wherever possible.

I first heard about Sunrise Children's Village around 5 years ago from my friend Sue Liu, from Zulu Communications. Sue has visited the village at least once and raises funds for them back here in Sydney. Sue is passionate about a lot of things, but none more so than this great organisation.

Rather than read masses of stuff on my blog, take a look at their website and do what I've done - click the Like button on Facebook to keep up to date with what's happening there. This is from their website ("Geraldine"is Geraldine Cox AM, the founder):


The Sunrise Children’s Villages are two orphanages located in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Australia Cambodia Foundation started in September 1993, following the first visit by Geraldine and a friend in 1993. The orphanages are now known as Sunrise Children’s Villages and they care for hundreds of orphaned and disadvantaged Cambodian children.Our third Sunrise Children’s Village has commenced construction in Sihanoukville.

I can't imagine how many years of recovery are needed to make up for one year of war. I do know about the TRILLIONS of dollars spent after WW2, repairing and rebuilding nations, cities and towns after the horrific damage done by the war, especially in Europe and Asia . I've been to London, Singapore, Hong Kong and Manila in recent years and I see the result today, after 6 decades of growth. Hopefully the kids at SCV can grow up to enjoy similar prosperity after decades of hard work in Cambodia as well.

http://www.scv.org.au/

Living in the Moment: Dutch Village Offers Dignified Care for Dementia Sufferers

I've read a few version of this online and am posting what I think is the best version. This from a story on Spiegal Online, the website for Der Spiegal magazine in Germany. The story ran here in metro daily newspapers and I think I saw something on TV as well.

In short, this is a story about a purpose-built village in the Netherlands called Hogeway, where dementia patients can live out their lives with dignity and respect. it also manages the elements of the earlier stages of Alzheimer's Disease, where patients are still active and can be quite a handful for family members and carers, as they wander off or forget people, places and things in their lives


"Instead of isolating these people in care homes, Hogewey keeps them dry, fed and clean while still making arrangements for their individual wants and needs."

Jo Verhoeff, 85, is among 152 residents of Hogewey. Here she is shown sitting on her bed in her home, which she shares with other elderly people who suffer from dementia.

The idea for Hogeway was born when the workers at a nursing home were asked if they would like to see their own parents in a facility like that. the answer was no and Hogeway was developed. According to one of the photo captions in the story, a place in Hogeway costs about 5,000 euros per month, which is comparable to conventional convalescent homes that is paid by Dutch health insurers


This is a massively expensive health care problem all around the world, including here in Australia. It seems that, for the Dutch at least, the cost of such a facility is not a barrier. As we Baby Boomers grow older, more and more people are going to be affected by Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. 

Enough from me. Please read the link in detail, because it's a beautiful story and I fear that dementia, like cancer does already, is going to touch most families before much longer, as our population ages. Make sure you take a minute or two and look through the photo gallery also.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,824582,00.html

Really great sports people are great PEOPLE, first and foremost.

This one is rather self-indulgent (really Trevor - YOU being self-indulgent??? lol), but I don't care, ok? :)

Last Friday was the Leader- Tynan Honda Sportstar of the Year Awards, for the St George and Sutherland regions of metro Sydney. You've got to be a really talented sportsperson to win at category or one of the Sportstar of the Year awards. The Senior Sportstar winner was world champion boxer Billy Dibb, for example.

This was my personal highlight from the event. This lady is Kelly Wren, aged 33, the winner of the Disability Sportstar award. Kelly won the ladies tennis singles, doubles, team event and mixed doubles at the INAS-FID Global games in Italy. Yes, ALL of those titles. What a great achievement, huh?

No sooner had Kelly left the stage after accepting her award than Ken Rosewall dashed across from his seat to meet her and spend some time chatting with her. The smile on Kelly's face says it all, as tennis legend Ken Rosewall went out of his way to acknowledge her achievement and give her his personal congratulations.

Ken Rosewall - a great sportsperson and a great person.

Lisa McMahon was on hand to capture the moment. Thanks for the pics Lisa:))

Harmony Day

Forget politics just enjoy the spirit of this great initiative.

I copied this from the Govt website:

Harmony Day is celebrated around Australia on 21 March each year. It's a day when all Australians celebrate our cultural diversity. The day is also the United Nation's International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Harmony Day is managed by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) and gives people the opportunity to celebrate what makes each Australian unique and share what we have in common.

The continuing message for Harmony Day in 2012 is that Everyone Belongs, which means all Australians are a welcome part of our country, regardless of their background. It's a time to reflect on where Australia has come from, recognising the traditional owners of this land. It's also about community participation, inclusiveness and respect – celebrating the different cultures that make Australia a great place to live.

Harmony Day began in 1999 and since then, a wide variety of groups including sports organisations, community groups, local, state and federal government agencies, schools and businesses have staged more than 25 000 Harmony Day events.

Over the years, Harmony Day has grown in popularity as Australians have made the day their own.
In 2012, we will celebrate the important role that sport plays in bringing together Australians from all walks of life to share in a common passion with the message Sport — play, engage, inspire. The aim is to encourage everyone, regardless of background, to participate in a sporting activity, increase understanding and to be inspired or inspire others.

Now, check this picture slide show from this week's Liverpool Chamion. Liverpool is one of Sydney's (and Australia's) most diverse, multicultural suburbs. If only EVERYONE could be as innocent, happy and loving as the kids in these pictures.

http://www.liverpoolchampion.com.au/multimedia/37928/507399/harmony-day.aspx

Daniel and Wiiliam Clarke and the orangutans.

Two young brothers in Australia, Daniel and William Clarke, have been instrumental in raising over $600,000 to help save orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra.

Daniel has cerebral palsy and, when offered a wish from the Starlight Foundation, wanted to use it to help the orangutans.  This is part of the transcript from "Australia Story"on ABCTV last week:

PENNY CLARKE, MOTHER: Early in 2007 we were approached by one of the mums who went to Daniel’s school, and she wanted to offer Daniel a wish through the Starlight Foundation.

RODNEY CLARKE, FATHER: We said to Daniel, well, yes, "What would you like? Would you like a new car for Daddy? Or would you like to go to Disneyland or something like that?" And after a while, he came back to us and he said, "I really want to save the orangutans in Borneo and Sumatra. That’s my wish".

LEAH WALSH, STARLIGHT FOUNDATION VOLUNTEER: Here was a ten year old boy who, rather than ask for something for himself, was asking for the most selfless thing I’d ever heard of in, you know, my career as a wish-granting volunteer.

RODNEY CLARKE, FATHER: Even though this wish was so grandiose, and perhaps even really far-fetched, it was still... as a child it was still his dream.

DANIEL CLARKE: I thought this is my chance to really make a difference to the orangutans

.

PENNY CLARKE, MOTHER: Since he was probably about three he’d watch all the Steve Irwin DVDs – we’ve got every single one at home

.

LEAH WALSH, STARLIGHT FOUNDATION VOLUNTEER: My initial reaction was, "How on earth am I going to possibly grant such a wish?"

PENNY CLARKE, MOTHER: The Starlight Foundation said, "We really apologise, but we can’t do any overseas wishes. But, you know, we can send you up to Australia Zoo, and we can send you to a Wallabies match."

JOHN HOWARD, FORMER PRIME MINISTER : I met Daniel in the dressing room after a Wallabies match in May 2007.

http://www.abc.net.au/austory/specials/thebookofdaniel/default.htm

I didn't see the program, but was alerted to it by this story in The Hills News:

http://www.hillsnews.com.au/news/local/news/general/hear-from-brothers-on-mission-to-save-orangutans/2488256.aspx

Great story!

The Sutherland Hospital sandwich ladies.

Read this one while I was checking in to some of my papers while I was supposed to be relaxing on holiday.

Fundraising for hospitals can often be a little frustrating, as the money often disappears into a black hole (no disrespect meant - hospitals are just costly places to build, equip and operate). Tens of thousands of dollars raised for a building project, for example, will be lucky to put a few rows of bricks on a wall.

The ladies at the Sutherland Hospital Kiosk have stuck at it for 52 years (not a typo - over half a century!) and have raised 2 million dollars. Now THAT'S dedication from a team of volunteers! One lady quoted in the article (see url) has been a volunteer for 34 years.
http://www.theleader.com.au/news/local/news/general/sandwiches-sustain-hospital-by-raising-2m-over-50-years/2473904.aspx

They've raised money to provide over 400 items of life-saving medical equipment, proving that EVERY little bit helps and can make a difference.

First post - an explanation as to "Why?"and beginning with a good news story from the Philippines.

Wow! Quite a mouthful of a heading, huh?

The gap between rich and poor is growing worldwide, even here in Australia. A recent trip to the Philippines (back just yesterday after 3 weeks) highlighted this gulf between rich and poor even more, as it would in many other countries, I'm sure.

There was one really good story there (see below) and I'm sure I'll find others from around the world in coming weeks and months. I was inspired (big word, but I actually did feel driven) to start this blog as a result.

My friend Vino has a wonderful attitude to life and promotes the health and well being benefits of positives thoughts and actions. I tend to agree, but I'm not nearly as passionate about it as he is - perhaps until now. I've decided to make a late NY resolution and post at least one good news story from somewhere around the world each and every week of the year. They'll be small scale, by world standards, but, in keeping with my passion for community, they'll all be about people making a difference in their local communities.

It's going to be a challenge, as the media (my employer for over 30 years) sells more papers and get more hits on line from bad news stories - always has. But community newspapers in particular, publish a lot of good news stories about their local communities and this medium (worldwide) is going to be my main source of information and inspiration, i think.

So, wish me luck dear reader (numbering exactly 0 at this stage, of course :) ).


Bahay Pastulan - the nuns and the ube shop.

Now, there's at least one other post/blog about this on blogger.com (http://bucaio.blogspot.com.au/2008/01/bahay-pastulan-goodies.html), but my post is more about the story behind the retail store.

We visited Bahay Pastulan while on a day trip to Tagaytay with Johnny's family from Batangas. The purpose of the visit was to get ube jam, for which the shop is famous and, of course, other goodies were purchased as well. The sign below is on the the outside wall as you enter their retail store.

In short, there are now families with an income and people with a sense of self-esteem because of what Sister Mary and her fellow nuns started.

I'm the first to be critical of organised religion in any form (don't get me started!), but this is a case of one religious order doing something really good for a local community.

And it's a nice story with which to to start the blog, don't you think?