Rebuilding Lives, Empowering People and Preventing Injuries

This time last year, Mansfield’s Steve Fell faced the prospect of forced retirement at the age of just 45.

The father of three girls was in such excruciating pain from a motorbike accident in 1982 that he could barely walk, let alone fulfill all of the responsibilities required of him as Owner/Manager of his Snap-on Tools franchise.

“I thought I’d have to sell my business, which I love, and which my wife and I have owned for the past nine years,” Steve said.

“My pelvis was shattered in the accident all those years ago and my condition has degenerated to the point that I now need to use a wheelchair to remain mobile.”

However Steve’s “bulldog” instinct – never backing down from a challenge – kicked in, and he decided to find a way of being able to remain a business owner.

After contacting the Spinal Injuries Association’s Employment Options service, which exclusively assists people with a physical disability to find or stay in employment, Steve worked with Employment Consultant Sandy Shearer to apply for, and receive, funding from the Federal Government’s Workplace Modifications Scheme. Robyn Molan who was appointed as the Workplace Modification Assessor was also instrumental obtaining funding approval and ensuring the equipment purchased matched Steve’s specific needs.

“The financial support we will receive from the scheme will allow Steve to purchase a manual wheelchair. It also covered the cost of tradespeople gutting the entire interior of the truck and re-building it so the shelves and bench tops were accessible,” Sandy said.

“An electric ramp was also fitted to the rear of the truck to allow Steve easy entry, and the truck was turned into an automatic vehicle.

“It doesn’t matter which area he is in inside the truck, he can reach up or down to everything that he needs, giving him the independence to remain employed.”

Steve said without the assistance of Employment Options he would be “on the scrap heap, wondering what to do next.”

“Sandy bent over backwards to assist me, and her negotiations between suppliers and fitters enabled the smooth transition of transforming my truck into an accessible vehicle that still allowed me to do my job,” he said.

Spinal Injuries Association CEO Mark Henley said this year Employment Options had secured almost $450,000 in Workplace Modifications funding for clients.

“This is a record for the service and one of the highest amounts in Australia,” he said.

“This funding has made an enormous difference to our clients as it has increased their independence and minimised the impact of pain and fatigue at work.

“Other examples of equipment purchased this year include height-adjustable desks, a forklift, speech recognition software and electric page turners.”

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Queensland school children will benefit from the generosity of a North Queensland-based mine that is the newest sponsor of the Spinal Education Awareness Team (SEAT) program.

It is expected that more than 100,000 school children around the state will be inspired to stay safe on the roads, in the water and beyond this financial year, thanks to the outstanding support of $125,000 by BHP Billiton Cannington Mine.

The Mine’s support has meant the award-winning program can be offered at no cost this financial year to schools for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Already, more than 65,000 Queensland children have seen or are booked in to see the program, which has presenters who have a spinal cord injury informing and inspiring students about safe behaviours.

Spinal Injuries Association CEO Mark Henley said the ambitious target of sharing life-changing safety messages with more than 100,000 school students before 30 June next year was on track to being achieved.

“This week is Spinal Injuries Awareness Week and we are delighted to announce BHP Billiton Cannington Mine’s support – and the dramatic results of that support,” he said. “This increase in bookings is a tremendous result for SEAT as the more children we can inspire to think about safety and the consequences of their actions, the fewer young Queenslanders will be injured.

“The feedback we have received from teachers and principals, especially at small schools in regional and remote areas, is that they could never afford the program in the past even though we only charged $1 per child.

“Now that SEAT is at no cost for this financial year, we can barely keep up with demand. For example, in October last year, 8,885 children viewed the program compared to 16,645 children in October this year – that’s an 87% increase in just one month and I hope that BHP Billiton Cannington Mine staff and management are incredibly proud of what they are helping us to achieve.”

BHP Billiton Cannington Mine General Manager Bob Fulker said: “As Zero Harm is the number one priority for Cannington, supporting the Spinal Education Awareness Team in Queensland is a wonderful opportunity for us to make this aspirational goal real for the next generation.

“Cannington has a long running relationship with the Spinal Injuries Association. Seeing how much impact the SEAT program is having across the state reinforces the value of our relationship,” said Mr Fulker.

SEAT has been operating as a service of the Spinal Injuries Association for 22 years and has shared safety messages with nearly 1.3 million children around Queensland in that time.

“Coinciding with the success of SEAT, Queensland has gone from the state with the highest rate of spinal cord injuries to the state with the second lowest rate,” Mark said.

“Around 90 people will still sustain a spinal cord injury every year in Queensland, however. Road trauma continues to be the major cause, followed by falls/crushes and water-related accidents.

“The more children our presenters can reach out to with their personal and very powerful stories – the better our chance to further reducing injuries that will have a lifetime of consequences.”

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The Woolloongabba Rotary Club has supported a local charity by generously donating $2,500 towards the organisation, from money raised at a sausage sizzle.

On Wednesday, 11 November, Woolloongabba Rotary Club President Rod Scott presented the Spinal Injuries Association with the funds at the club’s dinner meeting.

Mr Scott said as the Spinal Injuries Association was a Woolloongabba-based organisation that assisted around 2,000 people throughout Queensland with a spinal cord injury, Rotarians felt it was important to support a local not-for-profit group that empowered so many people throughout the state.

The Association was one of several local charities supported after the group of dedicated Rotarians cooked and sold more than 2,000 sausages at the Boggo Road Busway Alliance Open Day in August.

Spinal Injuries Association CEO Mark Henley said the tremendous fundraising support of the Woolloongabba Rotary Club would go directly into the Association’s injury prevention program, the Spinal Education Awareness Team (SEAT).

“This year, our 15 SEAT presenters throughout Queensland, who either have quadriplegia or paraplegia, will share their stories and safety messages with more than 80,000 school children from Prep to Year 12,” Mr Henley said.

“The Woolloongabba Rotary Club’s support means more children will be inspired to stay safe on the roads, in the water, on the sporting field and beyond.”

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Presentations from the Spinal Injuries Association Conference 2009 “The reality of today and the hope for tomorrow” which was held on Friday, 16 October 2009 at Brisbane Technology Park are now available.

• Government Entitlements (PDF, 413 kB) - Belinda Kropp
• The Role of Orthoses in the Late Effects of Polio (PDF, 583kB) - Bianca Nielsen
• How to Organise Your Own Travel(PDF, 879 kB) - Bill and Lee Garsden
• Opening address (PDF, 1.02 MB) - Dougie Herd
• Ethical Boundaries for Health Client - Carer Relationships(PDF, 616 kB) - Dr Patricia Fronek
• State of the Sector(PDF, 359 kB) - Valmae Rose and Mark Henley
• The Home as a Workplace(PDF, 825 kB) - Michelle Davidson
• Respiratory and Sleep Management (PDF, 1.54 MB) – Dr Peter Nolan
• Making Employment Work For You (PDF, 686 kB) – Tania Campbell-Goossen
• Physical Activity, Diet and Health (PDF, 807 kB) – Dr Sean Tweedy

For more information about the conference or any of the presentations, please contact the Association on 07 3391 2044.

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At 16, Mackay’s Paul Schembri was six months into a diesel mechanic apprenticeship and was enjoying the carefree life of a teenager.

However, just weeks before his 17th birthday, a weekly motorbike ride with his cousins led to Paul sustaining a spinal cord injury after he fell from his bike.

“I think I fell over the handlebars, but I don’t remember anything so I can’t say for sure,” Paul said.

In the lead-up to Spinal Injuries Awareness Week (9-15 September), Paul shares how he spent just under five months in hospital recovering and learning to adjust to life as a person with paraplegia.

“It was always a matter of what can I do now, rather than, what can’t I do?” Paul said.

Recently celebrating his 19th birthday, Paul’s “just have a go” attitude and enthusiasm for trying anything has seen him celebrate the first anniversary of his own small business, Para Xcavations.

“I’ve got a three-tonne excavator and I’ve been doing some regular work locally; the business is growing steadily,” he said.

“When I was in the Spinal Injuries Unit (in Brisbane) there was an excavator working outside my window, which I would watch for hours.”

“I realised that once the guys were in the cab of the excavator they were using hand controls to operate it.

“I have T2 paraplegia so I’ve still got the full use of my hands, so I thought I could give it a go.”

Paul fortunately had an uncle he could call on, who has a 20-tonne excavator, to practice transferring in and out of, which he was doing via a pallet on a forklift.

“Once I found I could operate the machine with no real problems, I bought my current excavator and with the help of a couple of family members, we built a simple frame that swings independently from the excavator’s roll frame. I attached a winch with a lifting bar and I am able to harness myself up and lift myself into the operator’s seat without assistance,” Paul said.

“It only takes me about three minutes and has given me the ability to create my own business.”

Paul also restores antique machinery, with a 1950 Caterpillar crawler his current personal project, while equipment that he has restored for other people is a good sideline to his excavation business.

Spinal Injuries Association Peer Support Coordinator Col Mackereth, from Townsville, initially met Paul in the Spinal Injuries Unit.

“Paul’s a great, positive sort of fellow. From the outset he was never going to let his spinal cord injury get in the way of achieving what he wanted,” Col said.

As a Peer Support Coordinator, Col, who sustained his spinal cord injury more than 20 years ago, provides practical, one-on-one support to both clients such as Paul, and their families.

“My role is to help people move forward, live in the now and look towards the future,” Col said.

“It never ceases to amaze me the way people with a spinal cord injury like Paul can think outside the square and find a way of doing things that initially seemed impossible.”

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Ryan Catholic College Year 10 students have been busy cooking up a plan to raise money for the Spinal Injuries Association.

The business enterprise students have spent five weeks creating a product to sell to other students, following the same process a business would.

Business education teacher, Lorraine Lawton, said the students put a lot of time into creating their product.

“After deciding on a product, the students developed a business and marketing plan and then determined pricing and selling costs to ensure a profit was made,” Lorraine said.

“It was all very realistic. They researched into the target markets and what the other school students wanted. Then they went from classroom to classroom promoting their product.”

The product, an Aussie Dog, comprising of bread, bacon, sauce, cheese and sausage, was sold during a trade day, catering to the senior campus of 1,500 students.

The students then brainstormed and nominated charities to donate the profits to and the Spinal Injuries Association was one of those chosen, with $250 generously contributed towards the not-for-profit organisation.

“One student, who was the driving force behind the venture, had a very close friend suffer a spinal injury earlier this year so he nominated the Association,” Lorraine said.

“The students then voted and the Spinal Injuries Association was picked. I think it really hit home hard with a lot of students, after knowing someone who has incurred a spinal injury.”

Spinal Injuries Association CEO Mark Henley applauded the students at Ryan Catholic College for their contribution.

“Every donation helps. These students are at that time in their lives where they are at the highest risk of a spinal cord injury. To see them recognise this and support not only the Association, but also their friend who recently incurred an injury, is really fantastic,” Mark said.

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Association member and Brisbane primary school principal, Mark Hunter, who had to fight to continue teaching after sustaining a spinal cord injury in a water skiing accident 30 years ago, has now become the public speaking world champion after winning the 2009 Toastmasters International Speech Contest. This year was his third attempt at the world championship, after coming third in 2007.

Mark wowed the judges and the audience alike with a speech about his personal struggles and hard-earned insights about life, and how he had found a way of overcoming discrimination and making a difference.

Check out Mark’s website at www.markhunter.com.au!

Read more about Mark’s journey to winning the championship:

• “How a Hunter Captured His Game” by Beth Black – Toastmasters International
• “Mark Hunter wins 2009 Toastmasters contest” by Margaret Wenham – The Courier Mail (includes Mark Hunter’s speech)

Mark Hunter - Toastmasters' International 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking

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