I am a 52-year-old stroke survivor, born in Wellington New Zealand. I grew up and went to school in Hawera in Taranaki. The eldest of seven children, I completed a drafting cadetship with the NZ Railways in Wanganui after leaving school. Then I worked for the Railways as an electrical draftsman in both NZ and in Queensland in Australia for a number of years and then at a multinational iron ore mining company in Western Australia. I traveled in Australia and Asia before settling back in Hamilton NZ in the late 1970's. Immediately prior to having two strokes I worked for twenty years as a shift supervisor for Carter Holt Harvey at their cardboard packaging manufacturing and printing plant in Hamilton which produced packaging for the Horticulture and Dairy and Meat processing industries.

A survivor of two strokes, I currently I live in Hamilton. The first stroke was a major one caused by an intracerebral hemorrhage in March 1993 resulting in left side hemiplegia. The second was a small stroke in June 2000 caused by a clot.

Following the first stroke (which happened while I was doing jury service at the Hamilton district court........would you believe) I spent 3 months in Waikato Hospital in the acute wards then in Rehab. I was not able to return to work and ended up on the invalids benefit a shock to the system going from earning over $40,000 a year plus medical benefits and superanuation and having company share purchase rights to about $10,000 on the benefit. It turned my life totally upside down.

I decided to explore the Stroke Foundation New Zealand and what they had to offer. I have been involved with Stroke Foundation Hamilton since 1993, elected to the Stroke Foundation Waikato Committee in 1995 and elected Secretary in June 1996, and currently still serving in that position. I was appointed to the Management Committee of the Midland Regional Establishment Committee at its first meeting in Rotorua in February 1996 I served on that committee until the first AGM then I was nominated as the Hamilton City sub - regional Representative on the Midland Regional Committee for 1997 - 1998. I have been re-elected annually each year until 2002 currently serving on that committee as President. I was nominated as a Midland Representative for National Councillor of the Stroke Foundation of New Zealand Inc for 1997-1998, elected as national councillor, re-elected for 1998 - 1999 and currently serving on the National Council of the Stroke Foundation as an ex-officio member as one of the four Regional Presidents."

So that's me, and where I came from and are now. I live independently in my own home and have done that since the first stroke in 1993, and treat everything as a challenge.

Visit our New Zealand Stroke information web site http://www.stroke.org.nz.
 

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