The Family Support committee has been busy over the past few months attending EB clinics and supporting families around the country with essential EB related items. Nina from Melbourne and Tara from Adelaide are two of the many applicants we have recently supported. Tara has written a lovely thank you letter expressing how much the Family Support program and the Kate Turner Foundation has made a difference to her quality of life.
A big thank you to the DEBRA Australia and the Kate Turner Fund for helping me get a brand spanking new mobility scooter. My second-hand one was on the fritz and I had no hope of getting a replacement without a little help. Well, you guys gave me a LOT of help.
The new scooter I have named her Silver, it means freedom to me. I can get out the house, every single day if I want, and I don’t have to worry about hurting my feet. I don’t have a car so the scooter is how I run errands and do my shopping. But it’s so much more than a practical object, it’s become a part of my identity too—it’s how I connect with nature and community. Without it I’d be shut-in. Nothing makes me happier than getting out in the sunshine and fresh air to see what’s happening in the neighbourhood and see who’s about, and smell the flowers in bloom and the freshly cut grass, and smile at every stranger I see—heaven.
I’ve spent precious years seeing doctors and specialists, being on waiting lists, filling in forms, gathering documents and speaking with legal aids, psychologists and politicians over the years to try and get support which has been exhausting. Now that I have found DEBRA Australia, it was a surprise to receive such fast, generous and compassionate assistance from you all. Thank you so much!
Tara and her new wheels “Silver”
Nina with her new wheelchair funded by DEBRA
The Family Support committee are also busy working on a few projects that will benefit EB families in 2018 and beyond. We look forward to sharing more information about these projects as they unfold in the New Year. In the meantime, if you have any enquiries about the Family Support program, carer respite and sibling support please contact our Family Support Co-ordinator – Simone on 0413 967 609 or via email simone.baird@debra.org.au