48th Edition

Changing

Perceptions November 2013

In this issue of your newsletter

Mandela Day

Ground breaking news

Life Membership

Executive Committee

2013/2014

Diary of a Cerebral Palsied

Twenty something

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

Our Association is a registered Non-Profit (002-154 NPO) and Public Benefit Organisation (PBO 930000042) with Section 18A Tax Exemption status.

What makes Christmas magic? It's something inside each one of us – that desire to spread a little happiness ... to reach out to others less fortunate and do something to make Christmas special for them.

Right now you have the opportunity to sprinkle a little Christmas magic into the lives of children affected by Cerebral Palsy.

Many of those who come to our centres will spend Christmas Day in a wheelchair, unable to run and play like other kids.

Some may not understand quite what Christmas is all about. But they still find joy in a glittery string of tinsel, the sound of Christmas carols, a visit from Santa in his bright red suit, and exciting gift wrapped parcels.

Please help us to continue to give our children with Cerebral Palsy the best possible care.

We ask for a donation from you at this special time of the year.

Herewith our banking details to enable to you to open your hearts and give.

And your own joy will be multiplied - knowing you have shared with someone who faces so many challenges ever day of their lives. THANK YOU!

Account holder: KZN Cerebral Palsy Association

Bank: First National Bank

Branch: Pinetown [22-16-26]

Account Number: 508 11 33 0451

Reference: Please use your name and surname

Page 2

Happy celebrations in

honour of our beloved

Madiba.

“Kindness in words creates confidence.

Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.

Kindness in giving creates love”

~ Lao Tzu~

And we are underway with the third phase of development at Reunion School… This phase consists of four senior academic classrooms. Left to right

Lindi Nyrendi (Deputy Principal); Edith Makhaye (Principal) and Pradeep Boodhoo (Project Build)

Page 3

The Association has benefitted from the

involvement of Mrs Sharon Burdett over the last

44 years.

When her son, Paul

started at Browns’

School in 1970, she

immediately became

involved with

everything including

fundraising.

Sharon laughs when

she says: “in those

days it was a charity

and not a huge

business to run, like

today. We survived selling old clothes; raffle

tickets; cake sales; street collections and of

course the collection tins. At that stage no big

corporate involvement was done.”

Needless to say Sharon’s involvement never

stopped and she was instrumental in the start of a

sponsoring body for Browns’ School, the

establishment of

Pevensey Place in

1972 as well as the

Chairman of the

Association (for many

years); under her

leadership our two

Centres, CREST and

CWAC were started

and then of course the

establishment of the

Reunion School in the

early 90’s.

Thank you Sharon for your tremendous dedication, commitment and unconditional work done for the Association and its people over all these years.

Sharon Burdett receiving her certificate of Honorary Life Membership from Executive Committee Member, Jenny Pahl.

Nicolas has been with our Reunion

School since the very beginning.

Wishing you a happy retirement!

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

2013/2014

Mrs Penny de Vries

Mrs Thabisile Sishi

Mr Doug Hawkey

Mrs Barbara Hollingsworth

Mrs Anne Ford

Miss Lettie Mthembu

Mrs Judy Mackinnon

Mrs Lindi Nyirenda

Mrs Anne Fraser

Mrs Jenny Pahl

Mrs Edith Makhaye

Mrs Colleen Bailey

Mrs Jill Thompson

Page 4

We had a big de Vries family event this year; Lesley married her long-term boyfriend David on 22nd June. In November last year, David had barely popped the question before Lesley asked Julia to be her Maid-of-Honour, a.k.a. Chief Bridesmaid. Julia was a little nervous at this big responsibility, but Lesley insisted that Julia was the only person she wanted to be sitting next to her on the big day and would not take no for an answer. She did have support from Ash, another one of Lesley’s bridesmaids, with whom Julia has now grown closer, which is lovely as Ash is a wonderful friend. The other two bridesmaids were in Cape Town and would only come up shortly before the wedding. The main task was to organise the Kitchen Tea so Julia and Ash had quite a few meetings to make sure all went smoothly. They pulled it off brilliantly! In preparation, Julia’s most important task was to interview David. Apparently this is quite a common game played at Kitchen Teas these days – the groom is asked certain questions, then the same questions are posed to the bride-to-be and she has to guess what his answer would have been. Forfeits are paid if she gets it wrong. Julia added her own special touch to this. It would have been too difficult for her to write down the answers so she decided to tape the interview. This was a master stroke because at the Kitchen Tea, she played herself asking the question, Lesley gave the answer and Julia then played David’s answer. This was delightful as we heard David in his own words which added another dimension to the occasion. That evening they all went out for the Hen’s Party and Julia, wheelchair and all, was very much part of everything. For someone who often feels she is on the outside looking in, it was special for Julia to be included so naturally. The big day dawned and we all spent the morning getting ready at David’s parents’ farm, where the wedding was held. Julia was a little nervous as she

was to use her electric wheelchair during the ceremony. Not only had it not been used for a while, the ceremony was being held in the garden so the surface would not be very smooth. She was also concerned that she would not know where to go; her visual perception and directional sense is weak. As Chief Bridesmaid / Maid-of-Honour she would have to lead the procession. They decided her brother, Graham, would lead her from the house to where the aisle began and then she would simply have to drive straight. This worked well and the bridesmaids in their colourful turquoise and yellow ethnic inspired dresses looked so striking.

Julia then switched into her manual wheelchair so that when the dancing began she would be able to join in. David’s best man, Paddy, led her onto the dance floor for the first dance after the bridal couple and he was very proficient at twirling her

around. She told me later that one of the best things about Lesley’s wedding, for her, was that her disability was a non-issue and that everyone continued to include her in the partying. She had been worried about how she would get around at the reception but people were taking turns to push her (even those she had just met that day). I think this is a result of the combination between Lesley’s accepting attitude to Julia rubbing off on her friends as well as the fact that Julia has become more confident in herself in these situations; more relaxed and less anxious. Seeing my daughters growing up and maturing into this special relationship is heart-warming for me.

Diary of a Cerebral Palsied Twenty-something Diary no. 45 by Penny de Vries