Network - Summer 2013/14

The magazine of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of SA & NT | www.ms.asn.au

Network12 | 2013 MS Network Magazine

News 6MSMudRun 10Ourpeople 16Keepingcoolthissummer 17Coolingyourhomeefficiently 18PeerSupportandEducation 19Peersupportupdate 20AccessingSouthAustralianGovernmentfundedequipmentandservices 22Thankyou! 24MultipleSolutions 26MSBookshopreviews 27 Clientstories 29 Communityfundraising 36MSMightySwim 39

Seethemuddydetails!

Turntopage10

2 MS Network Magazine 12 | 2013

18

From the Editor ...............................................................3

Letter to the Editor ....................................................4

CEO report ............................................................................5

News ...............................................................................................6

MS Mud Run ..................................................................... 10

Our people......................................................................... 16

Keeping cool this summer ..........................17

Cooling your home efficiently .............. 18

Peer Support and Education ................. 19

Peer support update ........................................20

Accessing South Australian

Government funded

equipment and services ............................. 22

Thank you! .........................................................................24

Multiple Solutions .................................................. 26

MS Bookshop reviews ....................................27

Client stories ................................................................. 29

Community fundraising .................................36

MS Mighty Swim .......................................................39

Locations ............................................................................. 40

In this issue

In this issue

MSHeadOfficePO Box 377 Salisbury South DC SA 5106 P (08) 7002 6500 Toll Free 1800 812 311 F (08) 7002 6599 E [email protected]

MSNorthernTerritoryPO Box 867, Nightcliff NT 0814 P (08) 8948 5300 F (08) 8948 5344 E [email protected]

www.ms.asn.au

MSSocietyPrivacyPolicy:The MS Society of SA & NT is committed to the protection of private information. A full copy of the MS Society Privacy Policy is available by phone: (08) 7002 6500 or online at www.ms.asn.au

Disclaimer: Material published in Network may not be reproduced in any form without permission from the MS Society. Any views expressed are not necessarily the views of the MS Society. All reasonable efforts have been taken to ensure the accuracy of any content but no responsibility can be taken for any error or error by-omission.

Guestcontributor:Spiro Koulocheris.

20

36

Fantastic family event. Great

fun and whole atmosphere was

excellent. Good music, friendly

helpful crew, lots of well priced

catering, well organised....the

list of positives goes on and on.

Anna

Such a good show put on today, guys. And all for such a great cause. Awesome work. Jess

The kids thought

last

years event was

choice

BUT you guys improved

10 fold this year

.

Awesome morning and

great event!!!!

Nicholas

10

34

9

2926

12 | 2013 MS Network Magazine 3

It is great to see some new oral

drugs now available on the PBS for

people with relapsing remitting MS.

When I first started here, there were

only injectable medications available.

It is great to see more options now

available to people with MS. I hope

2014 will bring even more treatments

and for all types of MS.

As you will see on page 19 our Peer

Support and Education program has

been invigorated with Mary-Anne

Edge taking up the role recently.

Mary-Anne has some great ideas for

seminars in 2014 and the peer support

program seems to be growing quickly

– which is terrific! If you are interested

in attending a peer support group, give

Mary-Anne a call and she can help

connect you with others in your area.

I hope everyone has a relaxing and

Merry Christmas. Enjoy the holiday

period and keep cool!

Until 2014…

ReneeMeredithEditor Network

MS Society of SA & NT Inc

[email protected]

Hi everyone,

I cannot believe we are at the end of

2013 already and it is mud run time

again! Now in its second year, we have

certainly made it bigger and better.

A big thank you to everyone who was

involved, whether you volunteered,

donated, ran or came down to watch

– you all helped make it a muddy

terrific day!

A special thanks to those who shared

their stories with me and the media

for the mud run. Alana, Sarah and

Lewis (on the front cover), Kelly, Simon,

Trish and Julie – thanks for helping us

create awareness.

In this edition we have some tips and

articles on keeping yourself, and your

home, cool over the summer months.

I know many people with MS struggle

in the heat, with just a .5 degree

change in body temperature causing

symptoms to exacerbate. If cooling

down is an issue, there are a lot of

products on the market that can help.

Personal Cooling Products and Arctic

Heat offer a discount to people with

MS who need these products, see

page 17 for more information.

From the Editor

From the Editor

17

32

22

40


The last few years, a group of ladies have conducted a

‘footy tipping’ competition in the district and we have been

lucky enough to get wonderful support from this activity –

each year the amount of money we are given increases,

last year is was $1000 and this year the cheque was just

over $1100, such a wonderful boost to our funds.

We have been able to support our clients with some

very essential equipment and we also pay for the

client fees and the Physiotherapy Department and

The Lucindale Fitness Centre.

Last week we conducted a very successful Badge Day,

raising just over $800 and recently we sent $2000 to

Sydney for the research program.

Yours sincerely,

BarbaraJohnson

Secretary – Naracoorte Auxiliary

EditorsNote:Thank you for your letter Barbara. What an amazing effort

by the Naracoorte Auxiliary and the Lucindale community. It’s terrific to

hear about the difference you are making to the lives of people with MS

in your community. Renee.

Send your letters to:

Editor Network

PO Box 377

Salisbury South DC SA 5106

or email [email protected]

Dear Renee,

A little bit of news from our auxiliary for the magazine!

The Lucindale community has been

a strong supporter of the Naracoorte

Auxiliary for more years than I can

remember! Thirty years or more, when

we used to conduct Melbourne Cup

luncheons, one Lucindale lady would

arrange for 2 or 3 car loads of people

to come and support us, and this

support has continued in many

ways over the years.

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor


expected; and those people who have

been accepted into the scheme and

have started receiving services are

generally very happy with the scheme.

This is good news!

The closure of our site at Greenacres

has seen the Physiotherapy team move

to 273 Main North Road, Enfield, along

with our Multiple Solutions Employment

staff. This has led to a reduction in

space and capacity for the physio team,

but we are currently negotiating with

several other organisations to provide

services to PwMS at several other sites

around Adelaide, as well as regional

areas and in Darwin and possibly Alice

Springs. We hope the easier access

will lead to more people receiving the

benefits of MS Society services.

The Bernie Lewis MS Mud Run held at

Urrbrae Agricultural High School on

Sunday 1 December saw over 3,000

people slog their way through the 4km

or 5.6km course, with total attendance

across the day at about 18,000. We

were overjoyed not just at the high level

of participation and fundraising, but also

at the opportunity to raise the profile

and knowledge of MS amongst so

many members of the community. My

thanks and congratulations go to our

Fundraising team, and an army of over

200 volunteers, who made the event

such a success. Enormous thanks too,

to all those participants who ran the

course, and to the thousands of people

who sponsored them.

Our next event is the MS Mighty Swim

at the Unley Swimming Centre on

8 & 9 February 2014. Early bookings

for this event are strong, so please

register early to avoid disappointment.

We expect the event to be bigger

and better than ever.

for people newly affected by MS,

which seems very comprehensive

and informative. A key feature of this

approach is the self-paced system of

information provision, in an attempt

to prevent information overload in the

early stages of MS. It also appears to

tick many of the boxes identified in the

December 2012 MS Needs Analysis. We

will be looking at this model, amongst

others, in the early stages of 2014.

The Board of the MS Society, the

PwMS Committee and society staff

have begun the development of a new

Strategic Plan for the period 2014/2015

to 2016/2017. There have been many

changes both internally and externally

to the organisation since the preparation

of the last Plan, and the time is right to

review our direction in the light of the

current environment.

Two significant items that will be taken

into account in the new Strategic Plan

are the emergence of the National

Disability Insurance Scheme (now

National Disability Insurance Agency,

or NDIA), and the results from the MS

Needs Analysis, which will inform us

of the needs identified by people with

MS in South Australia and the Northern

Territory. The new Strategic Plan

will be completed by March 2014, in

time to inform the preparation of next

financial year’s financial budgets.

We have been keeping an eye on the

launch sites of the NDIA, especially

interstate where the sites are targeting

people in a more appropriate

demographic than the under-three

year old cohort in the South Australian

trial sites. Two things stand out from

the early experience: There are many

more (over 50%) people eligible for

services in the launch sites than were

I have had the opportunity in recent weeks to attend two conferences highlighting the latest findings in research into MS, and world best practice in improving the level of information and education available to people who have been recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

I am impressed with the volume of

research being undertaken worldwide,

and the calibre of the researchers

involved. Very passionate people are

devoting their time and effort, not to

mention money, into developing a

better understanding of the causes

of MS, so that eventually a cure or

prevention can be found.

Much excitement seems to exist

around the possibilities in stem cell

treatments, as well as in genetics.

I hope you are keeping up to date

with research news on the MSRA

website at www.msra.org.au or

the MSIF website at www.msif.org

We are looking closely at a Swedish

model of information and education

CEO report

CEO report


CEO report | News

religion or beliefs. In all walks of life

it is a time to spend with family and

friends, and to celebrate in our own

way those people and things that

are important to us.

GraemeWarnockChief Executive Officer

MS Society of SA & NT Inc

In closing, I want to thank the many

PwMS who have become involved

with the Society, and who share with

me their stories so that I can better

understand the needs of PwMS.

I also offer a big thanks to all of our

hardworking staff, members of various

committees, including the PwMS

committee who dedicate so much

time to improving our Society; to

our very dedicated Board members

who likewise donate a lot of time and

expertise for the benefit of all, and to

the hundreds of volunteers who assist

the Society in so many different ways

over the course of the year.

I wish you all a restful and peaceful

Christmas season, irrespective of your

And in an exciting new fundraising

development, the Board of the MS

Society last week approved the

holding of the inaugural MS World

Velo Enduro 24. Details of this road

cycling challenge are still secret, with

a public launch of the event to be held

in January 2014. Watch this space!!

Christmas is upon us, and of course

the hot weather will soon be evident.

Please take all the necessary

precautions to stay cool during these

hot spells. If you have no cooling

system in your home, please contact

the ‘MS Assist’ Line on 1800812311,

so that we can get an idea of just how

many people are at risk. Knowledge

of such cases gives us the power to

negotiate on your behalf.

CEO report continued

FampyraPetition

A Facebook group has been set up to gather signatures on a petition to get the drug ‘Fampyra’ listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

Fampyra is a treatment that may

improve walking in adult patients

with MS who have walking disability.

To access the group search for

‘Fampyra petition’ on Facebook and

for more information on Fampyra

visit www.msra.org.au

News

COM

ING

SOON


News

HomeSolutionsforMultipleSclerosis

We are excited to be announcing the ‘HS for MS’ project for the year 2014.

The project will be working together

with the MS Society and the community

to increase home safety and risk

management services.

We would love to hear your thoughts

on this.

1. What do you think home safety

involves?

2. What information/services have you

received for home safety? Have you

found them useful?

3. Have you got any unresolved

issues at home that you would like

services for?

Respond online in the link below:

www.surveymonkey.com/s/FNZTG56

VickyLamandCharleneDuffyOccupational Therapy Students from

the University of South Australia

AmbulanceCover

Are you, and your family, covered for an emergency ambulance? We strongly recommend that everyone should consider having ambulance cover.

Often it is covered by private health

extras (check your policy) or for a small

amount per month, SA Ambulance

cover will ensure you do not have

these enormous bills.

The cost of an emergency ambulance

is generally around $600–$900. If you

are covered with SA Ambulance Service,

you won’t have to pay a cent if:

n the service is provided by SAAS; or

n the ambulance transport originates

in another State or Territory and is

provided by a recognised Interstate

ambulance service.

Fees below for emergency transport

cover: (extra fees apply for non

emergency cover)

Single $71.00

Family $141.00

PensionerSingle $45.00

PensionerFamily $89.50

Email AmbulanceCover@health.

sa.gov.au or call Customer Service

Centre on 1300136272

More information at

www.saambulance.com.au

ChristmasClosure

The MS Society head office will be closed for Christmas from 5pm Friday 20 December and will reopen Thursday 2 January at 9am.

The ‘MS Assist’ Line 1800812311

will close from 2pm on Tuesday

24 December and resume 9am

Thursday 2 January.

If you need any assistance over

this period please contact your GP

or other healthcare professional.

In an emergency situation, call

or go directly to the emergency

department at the hospital.

Usefulnumbersovertheholidayperiod

DisabilityServices

After-hours service:

0883721414

Lifeline

If you feel that you might need

phone counselling, you can call

131114about anything that

might be troubling you.

CrisisCare assists people in

crisis. Opening hours: 4:00pm to

9:00am weekdays, 24-hours on

weekends and public hoidays.

Call 131611


NewTreatmentsaddedtoPharmaceuticalBenefitsScheme

New Federal Health Minister, Peter Dutton, has approved the listing of two new treatments for relapsing remitting MS on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) – Aubagio and Tecfidera.

Both treatments are oral medications

that have proven in clinical trials to limit

the impact of MS symptoms and to

slow the onset of the disease.

They will be available through

prescription from your neurologist

from 1 December 2013.There are

now 8 different medications to treat

relapsing remitting MS available.

You can find more information

about these treatments from

www.msaustralia.org.au/pbac/

index.asp or contact one of the

MS Society nurses.

If you have changed medications

the MS Society nursing team would

really appreciate hearing from you so

they can keep up with how the new

treatments are working for people.

The best way is to give our ‘MS Assist’

Team a call on 1800812311, and a

nurse will call you back.

News

NDISupdate

You will notice various agencies now referring to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (or NDIS or Scheme), rather than DisabilityCare Australia.

This reflects the new Australian

Government’s decision to revert to the

original name for the NDIS. The public

service organisation that manages and

administers the Scheme will be known

as the National Disability Insurance

Agency or NDIA. Sometimes people

will refer to the NDIA as the Agency.

If you would like to receive NDIS

news and updates by email, you can

subscribe at:www.ndis.gov.au/news

2014WhyallaDisability&LifestylesExpo

A one-stop-shop for disability and lifestyle solutions regarding advocacy, aged care services, education, employment, disability support services, health and well-being.

Friday 21 March 2014 from 10am to

4pm at Westlands Hotel/Motel, 100

McDouall Stuart Avenue, Whyalla

Norrie. Exhibitor registrations are

now open for this event. For more

information call 82360575 or email

[email protected]

Congratulations–GenHouston!

Big congratulations to Gen Houston who recently passed her piano exam.

Gen won an MS Choice Award a few

years ago to help her return to her

piano playing. She has been working

hard for this exam and we send her our

heartfelt congratulations for her hard

work! Well done Gen!

News continued

ReneeThonardAward

The Renee Thonard Award is the Society’s most prestigious award, given annually at the AGM to an individual or group, in recognition of consistent and meritorious service to the Society. Renee Thonard was a founding member of the Society in 1964.

At the 2013 Annual General Meeting

held on 30 October, Dennis Hughes

was announced as the 2013 winner

of the Renee Thonard Award. Most

staff will recognise Dennis as his

friendly face has been around the

office since 1982! Dennis has provided

a range of face-to-face client support

over the years – the bus driver to

take clients on outings, the gopher for

client picnics, dinners and fundraising

functions; the person who delivers

equipment to a client’s home, to repair

it when it’s broken or to pump up

the tyre of the wheelchair. He is now

part of our community development

team, going into the homes of clients

to provide maintenance, cleaning,

gardening, and handyman chores

and to provide a listening ear to those

who want a chat.

Congratulations Dennis!


Page heading 1 | Page heading 2 | Page heading 3 | etc

For each appointment they have

two female registered nurses and

one female doctor in attendance.

Furthermore, to make this test and

examination as pleasant as possible,

the second part of the appointment

is a pampering session.

Volunteers working with the clinic offer

facials, hand massages and fingernail

painting in a spa like environment

with aromatherapy oils and relaxing

music to create a beautiful ambience.

Refreshments are also offered which

includes of tea, coffee, cake, juices,

fruit and cheese platters.

Formoreinformationcontact:

HighgateParkClinic

Level1BHighgatePark

103FisherStreet

FullartonSA5063

Tel: 83721442

Fax: 83721491

Parking: enter from Fisher Street.

General and disability parking is

available. The Highgate Park Clinic

bulk bills.

Women’sHealth–HighgateParkClinic

Highgate Park Clinic conducts a Women’s Health day each month for women who have a disability to enable a pap smear and breast examination.

Many GP’s cannot do the test as they

don’t have the required equipment

such as lifters and most importantly

the time which is required.

The Highgate Clinic allows an hour

for each client to enable the test

and examination to be carried out

in a relaxed manner to hopefully

alleviate any feelings of anxiety.

News

MSAssistTelephone Information

Service

MSAssistcan help you with information such as:

n Transport options in your area

n Centrelink processes & forms

n Local Council & State Government services in your area

n MS Society services

n Continence support services

n Research updates

n List of Neurologists in SA

n And much, much more…

Our free call MSAssist number is

1800812311

Please Note: Calls to 1800 numbers from a landline are free however some Mobile

Phone Services may charge for these calls so check with your provider first.

The telephone information service operates during business hours Monday to Friday,

excluding Public Holidays. Callers are able to leave a message outside these time and

our operators will return their call on the next business day.

Email queries may also be directed to [email protected]

Fantastic family event. Great

fun and whole atmosphere was

excellent. Good music, friendly

helpful crew, lots of well priced

catering, well organised....the

list of positives goes on and on.

Anna

Such a good show put on today, guys. And all for such a great cause. Awesome work. Jess

The kids thought

last

years event was

choice

BUT you guys improved

10 fold this year

.

Awesome morning and

great event!!!!

Nicholas

My two boys and I had an absolute ball. Its not every day you get to roll around in the mud with ur kids. They just wanted to keep doing more laps..lol... Thanks to all that ran this event. Definitely will be back next year for some muddy fun. Awesome event well done!!!! Leanne

Fantastic fun for

all ages

course, had a tot

ally awesome

day, plenty of foo

d, drinks

and kids enterta

inment.

Music playing all ov

er the

course was fanta

stic, gave it

a real party atm

osphere.

Vicki

One of the best days of my life.....I knew it was going to be fun, I had NO idea it would be THAT much fun.......Thanks to ALLKara

Proudly Sponsored By

EVENT PARTNERS

Naming rights sponsor Major sponsors

The MS Society of SA & NT is incredibly grateful for the support from the corporate community. Together we are all helping make a difference in the lives of people living with multiple sclerosis.

Were you a part of the 2nd Bernie Lewis MS Mud Run, held at Urrbrae Agricultural High School on Sunday 1st December? The MS Society of SA & NT once again got down and dirty to raise funds for people living with MS and their families, and showed Adelaide that Getting Dirty Never Felt So Good!

Following on from the inaugural 2012 event, this year we promised our Mud Runners bigger, better and muddier! With almost double the obstacles and plenty of mud to go around, Mud Runners of all ages navigated the military-style obstacle course in record numbers, proving that Adelaide really does love getting dirty. This year our new categories proved very popular, with fitness fanatics battling it out to become our Elite race champions, and parents and kids enjoying the opportunity to run together in the Family Mud Pack races. Congratulations to Harrison Hughes and Anthea Bennetts, our male and female Elite winners who took home an amazing prize pack for being the fastest around the track.

Of course most people were there just to have fun, and we saw our fair share of surprising, strange and spectacular costumes throughout the day. A big shout out to Kylie, who won a double pass to next year’s race for her amazing costume, Kylie wore a pure white wedding dress complete with veil, it wasn’t white by the end though!

Our Chief Mudders also drew lots of attention on the day! This group of CEOs, managers, politicians and generally important folk are big supporters of the MS Society, and were willing to get muddy to prove it! While some were spotted limbering up and enjoying the hospitality of the VIP tent prior to the race, there were a few serious competitors who blew everyone else away. With the determination (and dirty tactics) that was shown during the race it’s no wonder these guys are top of their fields! Congratulations to our winning joint Chief Mudders for 2013, Jordan Wissell from Wissell earthmoving and Tom Williamson from the Palmer group, what a great effort to make it to the top of the pack. Of course the other winning Chief Mudder was Mark Lewis from Bernie Lewis, who was our highest fundraiser. What a champ! To all our other Chief Mudders, thank you for your participation, fundraising and support, and remember it’s never too early to start training for next year!

Massive thanks also to our amazing muddy Crew volunteers – we cannot put into words how vital your assistance is to the overall success of the event. We hope you had a great time with us at the Bernie Lewis MS Mud Run, we have had so many comments about how friendly and helpful our Crew were and we cannot thank you enough!

Speaking of thanks, events like this don’t come together without the support of our amazing sponsors. We are lucky to have had an awesome group of organisations who were willing to support this event, and went above and beyond to help us and ensure it was a success. Bernie Lewis was again our Naming Rights sponsor, and a big thank you goes to Mark, Stefan, Amelia, Vivian and the team for loving the MS Mud Run as much as we do! Ochre Digital were Major Sponsors, and produced all the amazing signage you saw prior to and at the event. Nothing was too much trouble for the guys at Ochre. Coates Hire provided us with pretty much everything but the kitchen sink so that the event could go off without a hitch, and it was great to see Matt and the Coates Mud Crabs enjoying the muddy fun out on the course! Big shout out to all our Obstacle Sponsors, Event Partners and Event Supporters, we couldn’t have done it without you.

The beautiful Urrbrae Agricultural High School is an amazing backdrop for the MS Mud Run, and Crew would like to thank the wonderful Maxine and her team for making their grounds, equipment and staff available to us and embracing the muddy spirit of our event! Deb and Yvette from dbusiness events made everything happen for us, and Lucas and the team from Highgate Engineering did a fantastic job of building a safe, fun and muddy obstacle course for us once again this year. Big thanks to the MS Society staff and board members who worked tirelessly to bring this event together, great job!

Of course the biggest thanks must go to our muddy MS Mud Runners for helping to raise a huge amount of money for the MS Society and being willing to get down and dirty for a great cause. Feedback from our Mud Runners on the day was fantastic; the event has been embraced by the community and we can only expect it to continue to grow and become even better in the future. We will let you know the date for the MS Mud Run 2014 very soon, but until then, remember...

Getting Dirty Never Felt So Good!

The Crew

Please CheCk:1 Company Name / Spelling2 Address3 Licence #’s and ABN’s4 Phone / Fax Numbers5 Email / Web Addresses

Please tiCk aPProPriate CirCle:

Amend & RepRoof

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I hereby agree that the above artwork is accurate to my specifications and I authorise publication of this advertisement.

signature DateCustomer’s Signature

t 07 5699 8109 | F 07 5575 9748 e [email protected] PO BOx 4423, Elanora QLD 4221

GRApHIcS pRoof SHeeT

pLeASe pRoof ARTWoRK cARefULLY Whilst every care has been taken to ensure accuracy, please check the above artwork carefully for any errors, as Moving Together cannot accept responsibility for any errors not identified before final approval.To approve simply tick the approveD / proCeeD circle, then sign and fax back on 07 5575 9748 or alternatively scan and email back.To make amenDments email back with the changes you would like clearly outlined.If we have not received a reply by the deadline (stated above) or within 7 working days, this proof will be deemed as approved.Please note the following artwork guidelines: Minimum font size 7pt. Ads must be marked by stroke, colour or gradient. We accept the following file formats: jpeg, pdf, eps. Images and non-vector logos must be high-resolution suited to the offset printing process (300dpi or greater – If below 300dpi, we do not take responsibility for the image quality. We do not accept Excel, Publisher or Powerpoint documents. All proofs are sent at low resolution, therefore pics and logos will be blurred but will not be published as such.Colour Disclaimer: Please be aware that colour may vary between on-screen, laser printouts and final printing. If a specific colour is required, please inform us of the CMYK values. We print in CMYK colour mode and are not responsible for any colour shift that occurs in conversions from PMS/RGB to CMYK colour modes. Moving Together does not guarantee colour matching or ink density on JPEG or PDF screen proofs. Screen proofs will predict image proportion and placement, but not colour or density.

Business Name: Wissell Earthmoving

Contact Person: Jordan Wissell

Address: 2 Basten Avenue

Location: Seaview Downs

State: SA

Post Code: 5158

Phone Number

Moblie: 0411 677 334

Fax Number:

Email Address: [email protected]

Ad Number: 55490Site Number: EHC7058/EHC7042Site: Harcourts Morphettvale/Christies Beach/

Harcourts Aberfoyle Park

Ad Size: 45x65mmDate: 14/02/13Designer: Adamapproval Deadline: 06/03/13

proof 1

IsseLL eartHmovInGSee the Earth Move

TIPPER, BOBCAT & EXCAVATOR HIRE

WE CAN DIG IT, FILL IT,LEVEL IT OR REMOVE IT!

WE CAN GRASS IT, PAVE IT,FENCE IT OR RETAIN IT!

NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL,WE CAN DO IT ALL!

Phone Jordan Wissell0411 677 334

[email protected] Supporters

MUDMUD

RUNRUN

Proudly Sponsored By

EVENT PARTNERS

Naming rights sponsor Major sponsors

The MS Society of SA & NT is incredibly grateful for the support from the corporate community. Together we are all helping make a difference in the lives of people living with multiple sclerosis.

Were you a part of the 2nd Bernie Lewis MS Mud Run, held at Urrbrae Agricultural High School on Sunday 1st December? The MS Society of SA & NT once again got down and dirty to raise funds for people living with MS and their families, and showed Adelaide that Getting Dirty Never Felt So Good!

Following on from the inaugural 2012 event, this year we promised our Mud Runners bigger, better and muddier! With almost double the obstacles and plenty of mud to go around, Mud Runners of all ages navigated the military-style obstacle course in record numbers, proving that Adelaide really does love getting dirty. This year our new categories proved very popular, with fitness fanatics battling it out to become our Elite race champions, and parents and kids enjoying the opportunity to run together in the Family Mud Pack races. Congratulations to Harrison Hughes and Anthea Bennetts, our male and female Elite winners who took home an amazing prize pack for being the fastest around the track.

Of course most people were there just to have fun, and we saw our fair share of surprising, strange and spectacular costumes throughout the day. A big shout out to Kylie, who won a double pass to next year’s race for her amazing costume, Kylie wore a pure white wedding dress complete with veil, it wasn’t white by the end though!

Our Chief Mudders also drew lots of attention on the day! This group of CEOs, managers, politicians and generally important folk are big supporters of the MS Society, and were willing to get muddy to prove it! While some were spotted limbering up and enjoying the hospitality of the VIP tent prior to the race, there were a few serious competitors who blew everyone else away. With the determination (and dirty tactics) that was shown during the race it’s no wonder these guys are top of their fields! Congratulations to our winning joint Chief Mudders for 2013, Jordan Wissell from Wissell earthmoving and Tom Williamson from the Palmer group, what a great effort to make it to the top of the pack. Of course the other winning Chief Mudder was Mark Lewis from Bernie Lewis, who was our highest fundraiser. What a champ! To all our other Chief Mudders, thank you for your participation, fundraising and support, and remember it’s never too early to start training for next year!

Massive thanks also to our amazing muddy Crew volunteers – we cannot put into words how vital your assistance is to the overall success of the event. We hope you had a great time with us at the Bernie Lewis MS Mud Run, we have had so many comments about how friendly and helpful our Crew were and we cannot thank you enough!

Speaking of thanks, events like this don’t come together without the support of our amazing sponsors. We are lucky to have had an awesome group of organisations who were willing to support this event, and went above and beyond to help us and ensure it was a success. Bernie Lewis was again our Naming Rights sponsor, and a big thank you goes to Mark, Stefan, Amelia, Vivian and the team for loving the MS Mud Run as much as we do! Ochre Digital were Major Sponsors, and produced all the amazing signage you saw prior to and at the event. Nothing was too much trouble for the guys at Ochre. Coates Hire provided us with pretty much everything but the kitchen sink so that the event could go off without a hitch, and it was great to see Matt and the Coates Mud Crabs enjoying the muddy fun out on the course! Big shout out to all our Obstacle Sponsors, Event Partners and Event Supporters, we couldn’t have done it without you.

The beautiful Urrbrae Agricultural High School is an amazing backdrop for the MS Mud Run, and Crew would like to thank the wonderful Maxine and her team for making their grounds, equipment and staff available to us and embracing the muddy spirit of our event! Deb and Yvette from dbusiness events made everything happen for us, and Lucas and the team from Highgate Engineering did a fantastic job of building a safe, fun and muddy obstacle course for us once again this year. Big thanks to the MS Society staff and board members who worked tirelessly to bring this event together, great job!

Of course the biggest thanks must go to our muddy MS Mud Runners for helping to raise a huge amount of money for the MS Society and being willing to get down and dirty for a great cause. Feedback from our Mud Runners on the day was fantastic; the event has been embraced by the community and we can only expect it to continue to grow and become even better in the future. We will let you know the date for the MS Mud Run 2014 very soon, but until then, remember...

Getting Dirty Never Felt So Good!

The Crew

Please CheCk:1 Company Name / Spelling2 Address3 Licence #’s and ABN’s4 Phone / Fax Numbers5 Email / Web Addresses

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signature DateCustomer’s Signature

t 07 5699 8109 | F 07 5575 9748 e [email protected] PO BOx 4423, Elanora QLD 4221

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pLeASe pRoof ARTWoRK cARefULLY Whilst every care has been taken to ensure accuracy, please check the above artwork carefully for any errors, as Moving Together cannot accept responsibility for any errors not identified before final approval.To approve simply tick the approveD / proCeeD circle, then sign and fax back on 07 5575 9748 or alternatively scan and email back.To make amenDments email back with the changes you would like clearly outlined.If we have not received a reply by the deadline (stated above) or within 7 working days, this proof will be deemed as approved.Please note the following artwork guidelines: Minimum font size 7pt. Ads must be marked by stroke, colour or gradient. We accept the following file formats: jpeg, pdf, eps. Images and non-vector logos must be high-resolution suited to the offset printing process (300dpi or greater – If below 300dpi, we do not take responsibility for the image quality. We do not accept Excel, Publisher or Powerpoint documents. All proofs are sent at low resolution, therefore pics and logos will be blurred but will not be published as such.Colour Disclaimer: Please be aware that colour may vary between on-screen, laser printouts and final printing. If a specific colour is required, please inform us of the CMYK values. We print in CMYK colour mode and are not responsible for any colour shift that occurs in conversions from PMS/RGB to CMYK colour modes. Moving Together does not guarantee colour matching or ink density on JPEG or PDF screen proofs. Screen proofs will predict image proportion and placement, but not colour or density.

Business Name: Wissell Earthmoving

Contact Person: Jordan Wissell

Address: 2 Basten Avenue

Location: Seaview Downs

State: SA

Post Code: 5158

Phone Number

Moblie: 0411 677 334

Fax Number:

Email Address: [email protected]

Ad Number: 55490Site Number: EHC7058/EHC7042Site: Harcourts Morphettvale/Christies Beach/

Harcourts Aberfoyle Park

Ad Size: 45x65mmDate: 14/02/13Designer: Adamapproval Deadline: 06/03/13

proof 1

IsseLL eartHmovInGSee the Earth Move

TIPPER, BOBCAT & EXCAVATOR HIRE

WE CAN DIG IT, FILL IT,LEVEL IT OR REMOVE IT!

WE CAN GRASS IT, PAVE IT,FENCE IT OR RETAIN IT!

NO JOB TOO BIG OR SMALL,WE CAN DO IT ALL!

Phone Jordan Wissell0411 677 334

[email protected] Supporters


HollyJasperStaff

JobTitle:Occupational Therapist

Butwhatdoyoudo?

I work with clients following a referral

from Disability Services to assist

them to overcome a barrier which

they are facing on a day to day basis.

I do this mainly through prescription

of equipment, installation of home

modifications or learning a new skill.

Howlonghaveyouworked

attheMSSociety?

I have been employed here just

over 12 months.

Whatisthemostenjoyable

partofyourjob?

Probably meeting wonderful clients

and their families and being able to

Our people

Our people

DennisHughesStaff

JobTitle:Maintenance and

Support Services Officer

Butwhatdoyoudo?

Home maintenance and gardening

services for MS Society clients,

maintenance of MS offices, delivery

of equipment to clients and help

with fundraising events.

Howlonghaveyouworked

attheMSSociety?

I have worked for the MS Society

for 31 years.

Whatisthemostenjoyable

partofyourjob?

Meeting clients and hopefully

making things a little easier for them.

go into people’s homes and to work

with them on an issue which they are

facing every day. I also love working

with the wonderful and kind team

here at the MS Society.

I always find it useful to collaborate

with another discipline as they can

offer an alternative outlook or insight

and they are always supportive of

each other and of our clients.

Describeyourselfin3words.

Kind, happy, thoughtful

What’syourfavouritefood?

Home-made lasagne

Whenyou’renotworking

attheSociety,whatdoyoudo?

I like to play netball, go to the gym,

do yoga, bake, go for walks or spend

time with my friends and family.

Describeyourselfin3words.

Caring, compassionate, empathetic.

What’syourfavouritefood?

Roast lamb.

Whenyou’renotworking

attheSociety,whatdoyoudo?

I spend my time with family and

friends, renovating the house,

watching sport and going to

Crows games and fishing.


Page heading 1 | Page heading 2 | Page heading 3 | etc

If staying cool at work is an issue,

Multiple Solutions may be able to assist

with some of these products through

the Workplace Support program.

See page 26 for more details.

Usefullinks

www.personalcoolingproducts.com.

au/contact.html

(offer 10% off to readers with code 4467)

www.arcticheat.com.au

(offer discounted cooling vests)

www.quantumchill.com.au|

www.kooltubes.com.au

www.icepack.com.au

www.necktiecoolers.com

References

www.mstrust.org.uk/information/

opendoor/articles/0708_11.jsp

Intouch – Summer 2012 The magazine

of MS Australia – ACT/NSW/VIC

n Park your car undercover if possible

or use a sun shield to block the

sun out.

Coolinggarments

Cooling garments can help to cool

the body and can provide people

with relief from MS symptoms.

They can also help people with MS

be more active through exercise

and outdoor activities.

There are a variety of cooling

garments now available including

vests, neck ties and hats. These

contain a gel or other substance

that can be pre-cooled before

wearing. Depending on the product,

the cooling effect can last from

a few hours or the whole day.

Personal Cooling Products have a

range of products available (see ad

on page 18) including the ‘Aussie

Cool hat’ which has been designed to

complement their neckties. The hats

offer total air flo, 50+ sun protection,

wide shady anti-glare brims, terry

towelling sweatbands, snap-safe neck

cords, are lightweight, adjustable,

crushable, unisex and come with a

free magic Cooling Pad to wear in the

pocket hidden in the crown of every

Cool Hat. Varied styles available.

Personal Cooling Products are offering

Network readers 10% discount on all

the products. Shop online at www.

personalcoolingproducts.com.au

and enter the code 4467. Stay cool!

Arctic Heat offer a discount on their

cooling vests to people who have

MS. These vests are normally $198 +

postage, reduced to $132 + postage.

Visit www.arcticheat.com.au or

call 07552215527.

Many people with MS find the summer months particularly difficult as their symptoms are worsened by heat.

Cooling yourself down before, during

or after activity can help to reduce the

effects of heat and the problems that

it can cause. Cooling techniques can

range from cheap and simple ideas to

more expensive equipment items. The

following are a few suggestions on

how to keep cool.

Tipsforkeepingcool

n Have regular cold drinks or suck

an ice cube or frozen pineapple

chunks. If you are used to having a

coffee in the morning, swap it for an

iced coffee.

n Avoid hot foods. Choose salads and

sip iced water while eating.

n Spray your face and wrists with a

spray mister which can be cheaply

refilled from the tap at home.

n Cool down before activities with a

cold shower. Getting chilly before

heading outside helps to buy some

time before you feel the heat.

n Exercise in water. Hydrotherapy

is a great way to keep cool

while exercising.

n Avoid exercise in the middle

of the day. Try the mornings and

evenings instead.

n A floor or desk fan can help to keep

the temperature down and the air

flowing in a room. A hand held fan

can be useful when moving around.

n Wear loose, breathable clothing.

n Plan ahead. Check the weather

forecast on www.bom.gov.au and

plan for rest periods on hotter days.

Keeping cool this summer

Keeping cool this summer


sa.gov.au/energy or call the Energy

Advisory Service on 82041888.

During extreme heat it is easy to

become dehydrated or your body to

overheat. This is especially important

for infants and older people. SA Health

offers advice about staying healthy

in extreme heat online at sahealth.sa.gov.au,or copies of their extreme

heat guide can be obtained from local

libraries, medical services, community

centres or by calling 82267115.

If you are affected by heat-related

illness and need medical advice

contact healthdirect on1800022222or your local GP or hospital emergency

department.

The article is courtesy of the South Australian

Government’s Energy Advisory Service.

As the weather starts heating up, it’s the perfect time to think about how you will keep cool at home this summer.

To help keep your home cool, shade

windows in the day, especially on

the north, east and west sides of

your home. External shading is best,

but even closing curtains and blinds

inside your home to block out direct

sunlight will help to keep rooms cool.

Deciduous trees and eaves can also

provide shade.

If you have insulation installed in the

ceiling and walls, this can help to

reduce amount of heat entering

your home.

The cooler you keep your home

naturally, the less your cooling

appliances will need to work,

keeping your energy costs down.

Ceiling and pedestal fans are the

cheapest type of cooling appliance to

run, costing just 1 to 3 cents per hour.

They can also be used to complement

other cooling appliances by moving

cool air around your home.

Cooling your home efficiently

Cooling your home efficiently

CAN WE HELP COOL YOU DOWN?

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P R O D U C T SCOOLINGPersonal

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100%AUSTRALIAN

OWNEDMS Discount use

code 4467 on orders page

Evaporative coolers have low running

costs, are well-suited to the dry South

Australian climate, but also use water,

so check the water use and costs

too. To work effectively evaporative

coolers need good cross ventilation,

which can be achieved by opening

windows.

Refrigerative air conditioners have

higher running costs, so try setting the

thermostat between 24°C and 27°C,

or as high as you feel comfortable

with. Every 1°C lower can add 10% to

the running costs of your appliance.

You can also lower running costs by

only cooling the rooms you are using

by closing doors or using zones.

If you’re purchasing a new cooling

appliance, choose a system that is

right for your needs and is properly

sized. For ducted systems look for

one that has energy efficient ducting.

Look for an energy rating label, or

ask your retailer about the ongoing

running costs.

For more tips on energy efficient

cooling and how to calculate an

appliance’s running costs, visit


Peer Support and Education

Peer Support and Education

Mary-Anne Edge has commenced as the new Peer Support and Education Coordinator for the MS Society.

Some of you may know Mary-Anne

already as she has worked for the

Society for a long time, mostly in

employment services supporting

people who have MS and other

chronic conditions to remain at work.

Mary-Anne is now part of the MS

Assist team and her new role involves

supporting and developing Peer

Mentors and Support Groups as well

as organising the education and

seminar program. The purpose of Mary-

Anne’s role is to improve community

awareness and understanding of MS

and better respond to the information

and education needs of those living

with MS in SA & NT. The old saying

“Knowledge is Power” is so true and

we believe strongly that the more

information and options people have,

the better they will be able to manage

their MS journey.

Mary-Anne is based at our Modbury

office and works Monday-Thursday.

She can be contacted by phone

on (08)82036600 or via email

at [email protected]

Educationseminars2014

The MS Society of SA & NT aims to provide a series of seminars and workshops that responds to client requests for information and education.

Some will focus on maintaining a

healthy lifestyle and keeping you up

to date with the latest information

and research on MS, while others will

provide opportunities to learn about

future/financial planning, travel and

other activities. A variety of venues will

be provided in the hope that some will

be located close to your home, and for

those living a long way from Adelaide,

we will arrange for the sessions to be

recorded and available to you. Family

and friends are also welcome to attend

these education seminars.

At the time of printing details of

events have not been finalised but the

following is proposed:

NewlyDiagnosedSeminarsFebruaryandAugust2014citylocation

Have you or someone close to you

been diagnosed with MS in the last

12 months? Come along, learn more

about MS and take up the opportunity

to ask your own questions. This

information session will cover an

overview of MS by a neurologist, with

information on the latest treatments

and research. A physiotherapist will

talk about the importance of fitness

and exercise with MS. A Multiple

Solutions employment consultant

will discuss your rights with regard

to employment, privacy, disclosure

and available workplace support.

Information on peer support groups

and other MS Society services will

also be provided.

NewlyDiagnosed–MaintainingaHealthyLifestyleMayandNovember2014northandasouthvenue

Again aimed at those diagnosed

with MS in the last 12 months but

others are very welcome. Guest

speakers will talk about how you can

develop and maintain your health –

topics will be diet, sunlight, exercise,

meditation, preventing depression

and other lifestyle factors.

The MS nurses will be able to provide

information and answer your questions

on the latest treatments and research.

Workshops on Managing Fatigue and

Fitness will be run by the MS Society

physiotherapists.

There will be a paneldiscussion

with experts from the fields of Legal

Rights,Centrelink,Financial

PlanningandSuperannuation, to

answer your questions and help with

your planning for the future.

We are also hoping to provide

cookingevents – where a group

comes together to watch and prepare

a healthy meal, then share the

pleasure of eating it!

A travelnightis also in the planning

stages – with consultants discussing

suitable destinations, accommodation

and activities, with advice on travel

insurance and other useful tips.

Further details on these events will

be advertised on the MS Society

webpage, MS Facebook page (www.

facebook.com/MSSocietyofSANT),

the e-newsletter and emails/letters

to clients.

If you would like to register an

early interest in any of these events

please contact:

Mary-AnneEdge,Coordinator

EducationandPeerSupport

T: (08)82036600

E: [email protected]

And if you have any suggestions to

help with the planning of education

seminars and workshops please

pass these on to Mary-Anne Edge,

as above.


The Peer Support program continues to connect people with MS to each other to provide opportunities to meet and discuss your MS with others experiencing similar issues. There are a number of programs and groups currently in action – please read on for more information!

Peer support update

Peer support update

Onlinesupport

158membersandcounting!

You might find it a bit nerve-wracking

to attend a group or speak with

someone in person about your MS.

Maybe you’re just not ready to speak

or meet a person with MS yet, but

would like some advice anyway.

Perhaps distance is an issue if you

live in a rural or remote area, or you

may be too ill to leave the house.

Online support might be an option for

you. It’s convenient – log in whenever

or wherever you like. This is a closed

forum, only accessible to members.

You can find it at www.facebook.com/

groups/MySocietySANT/ –

just request to be a member.

Mentoring

We have an excellent group of

supportive, caring mentors who

are more than happy to talk with

other people with MS.

They also have MS, so odds are they

have had some similar experiences

to you.

If you’re hesitant to join a group or

would just like to speak with someone

privately, please contact the MS

Society on (08)70026500 to

be connected to a peer mentor.

NewPeerSupportGroups

There have been requests to establish

some new support groups and to

re-invigorate some ‘old’ ones.

Planninghasstartedfornewsupportgroupsin:

n Alice Springs

n Copper Triangle/Moonta area

n Clare

n Port Pirie

n Whyalla

n Darwin

It is likely that meetings will be in

the mornings on weekends at a

cafe for coffee/brunch, possibly at

Palmerston and in the city. There

will be a Christmas dinner on

Sunday 15 December, 6 pm at the

Darwin Sailing Club, Fannie Bay, to

plan the 2014 meetings. Contact

Sarah Schubert on 0439885604

for more details.

n ParentswithKidsA group of parents met on Saturday

23 November at North Adelaide

Aquatic Centre Playground to

discuss the format and location of

support groups in 2014. Options

include a playgroup for those with

pre-school children and a coffee/

meal get together for those with

school-age children. The next event

will be Saturday 1 February 2014,

1.00 pm at the Esplanade Hotel,

cnr Jetty Road, Brighton.

The hotel has an indoor playground

next to the bistro, further meetings

will be planned on this day.

n City-basedforworkers

A group for those who are working,

to meet monthly for a meal in

eastern Adelaide 6.30 pm on a

Wednesday. Please contact Jess

Raeburn on 0403155696 if you

are interested in joining.

n Newlydiagnosed

A ‘pop-up’ group for 4–5 months,

open discussions facilitated by MS

staff and people living with MS,

about managing health and lifestyle

so that you can get on with your life.

Once a group forms the location

of meetings will be decided, most

likely to be held early evenings.

Lookingformemberswishingtojoinrefreshedgroupsin:

n Unley or Eastern Suburbs

n Adelaide Hills – Stirling area

n Western suburbs or Port Adelaide

n Glandore

If you are interested in joining or

getting more information about any of

these groups, or wish to start a group

in your own area, please contact

Mary-AnneEdge

T: (08)82036600

E: [email protected]


PeerSupportGroupsmeetinthefollowingareas:

Location Day/Time Venue GroupCoordinator

Barossa 3rd Thursday each month, 11am Tanunda/Nuriootpa Denise Hoffman (08) 8565 6245

HardYakkas(Salisbury)

Last Wednesday each month, 12pm

Café Aqua, Salisbury Tallia Coulter 0403 766 157

Fleurieu Random Tuesdays, 12.30pm Rotated around Fleurieu eateries

Jill Masters (08) 8555 0358

Gawler 2nd Monday each month, 10am Gawler Women’s Health Centre Helen Hoppman 0403 295 348

Modbury Last Tuesday each month, 10am Independent Living Centre, Gilles Plains

Jennifer Cotis 0407 888 492

ClovellyPark 4th Friday each month, 12pm Tonsley Hotel, South Road,

Clovelly Park

Christine Sutherland (08) 8276 3779

MountGambier 1st Friday each month, 12pm Commercial Hotel, Commercial Street West

Jenifer Carpenter (08) 8738 2343

SouthEast 3rd Thursday each month, 10.30am

The Settlers Café, Naracoorte Samantha Loechel 0427 662 156

Noarlunga 1st Thursday each month, 12.30pm

Various lunch venues Virginia Stanfield (08) 8382 5244

3rd Thursday each month, 12.30pm

GP Super Clinic, Noarlunga

Burnside 3rd Thursday each month, 2pm Burnside Community Centre Paula Hardy (08) 8379 8220

PortLincoln 2nd Tuesday each month Venue and time varies Rick Cunningham 0427 999 029 Pamela Price 0427 824 145

TailemBend Wednesdays, mid-monthly Group member’s homes Sue Griffiths (08) 8572 3914

Familymembersandcarersarealwayswelcometoattend

If there have been any changes to your support group that we’re not aware of, please contact the MS Society

to advise us of any updates. Please also let us know if you are interested in setting up a group in your area.

OvercomingMultipleSclerosisPeerSupportGroup

If you are on the Overcoming Multiple Sclerosis (OMS) program, or would like to learn more about it, you are invited to join

a peer support group with a special interest in OMS. Meetings are held on the 3rd Monday of each month, 7 pm at Pembroke

College. Please contact the group coordinator Pam Schartner on (08)83319360or email [email protected]

Peer support update

‘IwasrecentlytoldwhytalkingtootherpeoplewithMSissohelpful–becausenooneelseseemstogetit.’Join a support group and talk to others who do ‘get it’.


Accessing South Australian Government funded equipment and servicesOverview

The Department of Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI) is responsible for funding and providing services for people with disability in South Australia.

Within DCSI, Disability Services

is the department responsible for

coordinating and delivering services

to people with disability.

TheroleofDisabilityServices

Once a person is registered with

Disability Services they are assigned

to a regional office and, in some

cases, allocated an individual Services

Coordinator. The staff in your local

regional Disability Services office are

responsible for coordinating all services

and supports that you may require.

This may include reviewing personal

care requirements, assessing the need

for equipment or home modifications

and referral to allied health services

such as physiotherapy, speech therapy,

dietician and psychology.

TheroleoftheMSSociety

Sometimes Disability Services outsource

parts of their work to other organisations

such as the MS Society. In SA, the MS

Society has an agreement with Disability

Services that they will use our therapists

when they need an Occupational

Therapist or Physiotherapist assessment

for someone with MS living in the

metropolitan area.

These assessments are usually related

to things like equipment, manual

handling, home modifications or

personal care requirements. Our staff

carry out the assessment and then

send a report to Disability Services

with recommendations.

For those people with MS living in rural

and remote areas of SA, our therapists

are also available to provide advice via

telephone to Disability Services staff

and therapists working in your region.

Itisimportanttounderstandthat

DisabilityServicesmakethefinal

decisionaboutwhatequipmentand

servicestheywillfundandprovide–

nottheMSSociety.

The MS Society does not have funds

to pay for equipment, home modifications

or personal care – this is only available

through Disability Services.

DisabilityServicesregistration

A person must be registered with

Disability Services BEFORE receiving

any support or equipment.

Itisimportanttonotethat:

n Theregistrationprocesscantake

upto6months. This cannot be fast

tracked unless a person’s situation

is extremely critical.

n A person will not be eligible to register

with Disability Services based solely

on their MS diagnosis. The registration

criteria also require identifying some

difficulty that requires assistance from

Disability Services. Talk to our therapy

staff if you are unsure.

Duetothelongleadintimeforregistration,theMSSocietyrecommendsthat

apersoncompletearegistrationapplicationtoDisabilityServicesassoonas

theybegintoexperienceanydifficulties.Evenifyoubelievetheissueisminor,

itisbesttoregisterforservicesassoonaspossibleduetothewaitingtimes.

Accessing South Australian Government funded equipment and services

Department for Communitiesand Social Inclusion


Accessing South Australian Government funded equipment and services

A referral may then be forwarded to the

MS Society, and a therapy staff member

may then make an appointment to meet

with you.

ContactingDisabilityServices

Intake: 1300786117

(local fee only for country callers)

Office Number: 82721988

Email: [email protected]

Needmoreinformationoradvice?

Call our ‘MS Assist’ Line on

1800812311 for further information or

assistance with submitting a Disability

Services registration application.

MS Society Occupational Therapists

celebrating OT week with a yellow and

purple afternoon tea.

October20th–26thwasOccupationalTherapyweek.Didyouknow:

n Between 1939 and 2011 the

number of Occupational

Therapists in Australia has

risen from 3 to 15,000.

n The use if occupation as

therapy has a long history but

the OT profession officially

started in Australia in 1940

(WW2) to deal

with wounded soldiers.

n Now 15 programs graduate

over 1,000 students a

year and this will increase

dramatically in the next few

years with another 20 new

programs soon to graduate

students.

n Between 1996 and 2011 the

number of Occupational

Therapist employed in

Australia more than doubled.

n So what do OTs do? Put

simply we engage people to

change the way they occupy

their time in order to live the

life they choose.


Thank you!

Thank you!

KinddonationofMotorisedExercisePedalstoPhysiotherapyDepartment

One of our clients, Jane Lyall,

sadly passed away on 8 July

this year. Jane had been

attending the MS Society every

week for many years and I had

the pleasure of working with

her with the motorised pedals

for the last 9 years.

Jane’s program involved leg and arm

work and she always had a sunny

smile and never complained.

The whole Physiotherapy Department

sadly misses her happy disposition

and seeing her every week.

Jane was an active volunteer with

the Society for many years and I first

met her when I was volunteering too

in the 1990s.

Jane’s Mother, Margaret , has kindly

donated Jane’s home motorised

exercise pedals to the MS Society of SA

& NT so they can be included in the hire

program and so benefit other clients.

A plaque will be placed on the pedals

to acknowledge this kind donation by

the Lyall family in memory of Jane.

Anyone interested in hiring our

Motorised Exercise Pedals for 4 weeks

for home use, please contact the

Physiotherapy and Exercise Physiology

Department of the MS Society on

(08)83600800.

SandyAndrewsPhysiotherapy Assistant

Thankyouandgoodbye–SarahWoodard

It is with great sadness that I am informing everyone that Physiotherapist Sarah Woodard has resigned from the Society. Sarah has been an integral part of the team starting nearly 5 years ago as a student volunteer (in the pool and with the vibrogym program) that led to a part time physiotherapy assistant role.

After completing her university

studies, Sarah was employed full time

as a physiotherapist and we have

never looked back! Over the years

her role has encompassed many

things including the Reynella exercise

group, aquatic physio programs and

the treatment, rehabilitation and

management of individual clients.

More recently over the last two years

Sarah has been responsible for the

UniSA Student Physio Rehab Clinic.

This has been a huge commitment

and tremendous effort that has seen

the availability of intense rehab to

our clients from Greenacres and (in

the past) Elizabeth sites. Sarah has

shown her dedication and passion for

her profession with endless patience,

guidance and mentoring of the

students.

‘Nomatterwhatjob,Iamsureherpassionforlearning,highstandardsandgenuinecareforclientswillseehersucceed.’I strongly feel that such a positive

experience for students early in their

career can only result in greater

understanding and awareness of

the Society, MS and the benefit that

physiotherapy can provide to those

with neurological conditions.

This will ultimately benefit our clients

who may have to deal with these

students as future health professionals.

In leaving us, Sarah hopes to pursue

a job a bit closer to her new home

and also to expand her experience

and knowledge outside of MS and the

community setting. No matter what

job, I am sure her passion for learning,

high standards and genuine care for

clients will see her succeed. Although

she will be greatly missed by clients

and staff alike, we wish her all the best

in her future endeavours and we are

confident that our paths will cross both

professionally and socially in the future.

All the best Sarah and thank you for all

your hard work and commitment over

the years!


Thank you!

ThankyoutoRodney–GreenacresVolunteer

The Physiotherapy & Exercise

Physiology Team would like

to extend a huge thank you

to our volunteer Rodney.

Rodney joined us at Greenacres at the

beginning of 2012. He has been working

predominately with the Motorised

Exercise Pedal (MEP) Home Hire

Program. This requires him to contact

clients regarding hire of MEP, collect

hire fees, check that MEP are in

good working condition and organise

drop off/pick up of MEP.

‘Rodneygoesabouthisworkwithminimalfussandmaximumefficiency.’Initially he coordinated these deliveries

for our maintenance man Dennis

however, with increasing pressure

on Dennis’ role, Rodney took on the

delivery component himself.

If not for this, many clients would not

be able to access the MEP home hire

program as coming to Greenacres to

pick up the equipment themselves is

often not an option. Rodney also took

on the delivery component of the job

without any consideration of his own

travel costs.

Rodney goes about his work with

minimal fuss and maximum efficiency.

Without him, the MEP program would

not be running. Rodney is also very

happy to help with numerous “odd

jobs” around the office, eg. moving

of furniture, putting up notice boards,

installing hooks/pegs on walls and

“fixing” of many things!

Unfortunately for us, Rodney is moving

away and will not be able to assist us

anymore. On behalf of the staff and clients

who have worked with him, I would like to

say a big “THANK YOU” and wish him

all the best in his future endeavours.

MaxineBrooks–Thankyou!

Maxine has been a very reliable and committed volunteer for the MS Physiotherapy department for over 6 years. Unfortunately, she has decided that she will not be able to continue with us once we move to our new office at Enfield.

We first came to know Maxine through

one of our aquatic therapy programs

and it was this contact that led Maxine

to volunteer with the Society.

Initially Maxine started helping out

with some of the administration tasks

related to Disability Services Aquatic

Therapy program, however we soon

realised she had quite an adaptable

skill set and signed her up for more!

Maxine was instrumental in much

of the administration work involved

with the early years of the MS 24

hr Megaswim and the Go for Gold

Scholarship Program.

In this role she had an amazing ability

to translate the words from a client’s

application into vibrant and interesting

stories to capture people’s imagination

and tug at their heart strings on

presentation night.

More recently, Maxine has been

“manning” our busy front desk at the

Greenacres reception once a week.

A wide variety of tasks are required

in this role and we greatly appreciate

her dedication to this.

So it is with great sadness that we

farewell Maxine and particularly thank

her for all her hard work, welcoming

personality, friendly face and her

longstanding commitment to the

Society. We wish her the best of

luck in her future endeavours.

MargotStrelanSenior Physiotherapist


Multiple Solutions

Multiple Solutions

n Funding workplace aids,

equipment or modifications

n Helping you develop strategies

to continue working successfully

Reducing stress and fatigue at work

helps to also increase the energy

you have for family and home.

Contact Workplace Solutions staff to ask about this free workplace support:

North(08)82036600

South(08)81981400

Email:[email protected]

Supportforworkersandtheself-employed

Does your health impact your work? Does your work affect your health?

Multiple Solutions can you help

you manage both by:

On the 18th of May last year I was riding my bike on the way home from work and was hit by a truck on South Road.

I remember waking up at Flinders

Medical Centre where I stayed for

6 days. I was then transferred to

Hampstead Rehabilitation Hospital

and remained there for a further

3 weeks. I received lots of care

which I was not used to as I was

used to dealing with things myself.

I have Cerebral Palsy and now a

brain injury. I was referred to Multiple

Solutions and the Workplace Solutions

program to help me get back to work.

Prior to my accident I was working

fulltime at Conma Industry. Multiple

Solutions helped me regain my

confidence. They didn’t tell me what

to do, but they were there to support

me every step of the way.

Multiple Solutions not only helped

me return to work, they also helped

me find a GP after not seeing one for

years. They provided with information

about services and supports that were

available to me. My Workplace Support

Consultant informed Hampstead about

my progress and my hours at work

gradually increased. I now have the

tools to deal with situations better

even if they don’t always go the way

I would like.

When I first started with Multiple

Solutions I said to my Workplace

Support Consultant that everything

was taking a long time. My Workplace

Support Consultant told me that when

I look back at my recovery, I would not

realise how fast it went. I didn’t believe

her at the time, but I now know what

she said is true.

Thank You Multiple Solutions for all

your help.

JohnLaidlaw


MS Bookshop reviews

MS Bookshop Reviews

Mick,JaneandMe–LivingwellwithMSbyCarolynCordon

A self published book of poetry about living well with MS

Truthfully the last time I read poetry

was in English 1 at Uni – and that

was a long time ago – but I do

remember being asked not to re-enrol

in English2 after I declared Chaucer to

be a **** poet in my final assignment.

The last time I voluntarily read poetry

was during a brief teenage crush when

I was introduced to Tagore’s Gitanjali

(they were the days of Indian sandals,

jewellery with bells… ).

Carolyn’s memoir, poetically speaking,

was on my bookshelf for 2 weeks

before I opened it – I was dusting

around it so thought maybe I should

have a quick look. Duster abandoned,

an hour later I’ve concluded that this

is an incisive and delightful read –

not what I remembered to be poetry.

An impish sense of humour that

delivers some facts and realities about

living with MS without descending

into the pits of doom and gloom is

the tone of this book from the first

to the last page. This is written by

someone whose middle name must

be resilience. How to get on with your

life and make the best of it, actually

more than that – how to see the funny

side of what others may find tragic and

how she continues to stay positive

and happy when others might wail and

weep – all told with that impish sense

of humour.

Laugh out loud when you read Chapter

6 – ‘Things not mentioned in polite

company’ and laugh at the clever

cartoons that greet each chapter.

There are plenty of

laughs in this slim volume

and you can’t help but

admire Carolyn’s ability

to remain upbeat where

others might wilt. Little is

hidden about what it’s like

to live with MS and there’s

plenty of help and guidance

together with lots of facts.

Better than reading some

of those Fact Sheets that

can be scary reading.

For anyone newly diagnosed

with MS this book has a

wealth of information, for

those with a family member

with MS it is also an invaluable

little book. The sense of

understanding of what it is

like to be someone with MS

comes through as a support

for anyone who might not be

managing very well.

I can see the potential for a follow up

book written in the same vein about

being the partner of someone with

MS. There’s a really big gap there!

However, I digress.

This little book won’t take up much

of your precious time to read, but it’s

time well spent – a down to earth look

at life with MS and how the power of

the mind, being positive, happy and

resilient all contribute to living well

with MS.

PamSchartner

If you would like to purchase

a copy of ‘Mick, Jane and Me –

Living well with MS’ please call

Carlyon on 0418806490 or email

[email protected]

‘ForanyonenewlydiagnosedwithMSthisbookhasawealthofinformation,forthosewithafamilymemberwithMSitisalsoaninvaluablelittlebook.’


CarryaBigStickbyTimFerguson

Tim Ferguson – the Doug Anthony Allstars/Edinburgh Festival and “Don’t forget Your Toothbrush” – an Australian icon of provocative comedy.

I like a book that makes me

laugh on page 1 – a really

good sign. There are plenty

more laughs as you follow

his version of his rise to

fame, tackling the big

barriers of breaking into

the comedy venues

and the hard road to

becoming a success.

I gained a new respect

for the man, not just the comedian.

I expected the book by Tim and his

experience of MS to be full of funny

irreverent anecdotes about falling over,

slurring his words, dropping things and

the like.

I was about half way through the

book and it was getting hard to tell

that he had MS. When I had turned

the last page I had a sense of

disappointment – it wasn’t a book

about Tim Ferguson having MS –

it is a book about Tim Ferguson.

Just some mentions early on about

ignored symptoms, a realisation that

his Allstars life was affecting his health

and the blokey thing of not wanting to

talk to a doctor about the growing list

of symptoms that signalled something

amiss on his body.

Only towards the end of the book

is there really much said about him

having MS. And he doesn’t make

a big deal of it. The blurb about the

book tells about his aversion to

buying his first walking stick and

because it meant that his disability

had gotten to the point where he

was no longer safe without an aid

– a stubbornness of not wanting to

be seen as having a disease.

A few days later I realised that this

story is being told by a person who

said ‘MS does not define me’ – he

had kept his MS a secret for a very

long time from most of his family and

friends and refuses to whinge about

having MS because he can’t change

that. That’s what I call a powerful set

of messages.

A good book is one that makes you

both laugh and think.

PamSchartner

MS Bookshop reviews continued

MS Bookshop reviews

‘…thisstoryisbeingtoldbyapersonwhosaid‘MSdoesnotdefineme’–hehadkepthisMSasecretforaverylongtimefrommostofhisfamilyandfriendsandrefusestowhingeabouthavingMSbecausehecan’tchangethat.That’swhatIcallapowerfulsetofmessages.’


Client Stories

So when thinking about my 50th

celebrations earlier this year, I decided

that what I really would prefer to do

was head north to the sun and warmth

to escape winter and all the whoo-haa

associated with turning 50. Broome,

in the Kimberley area of Western

Australia, was calling my name!!

JulieMorcom

Thebestwaytobeatyourwinterblues!!

Winter. Not one of my favourite seasons but having been born in August, I am used to always having a cold, wet and miserable day for my birthday.

But then nothing nice ever really

happens to me in winter. It was a

miserable rainy day in late July 1993

that I was diagnosed with MS – three

weeks before my 30th birthday.

Over the past 20 years, my

medications have included Betaferon

(11 years) and Tysabri, which I changed

to just over 6 years ago. The latest

change has proven to be very

successful for me as I have not had

one relapse during this time and my

MRI’s are currently showing no active

lesions. I have also been able to

increase my fitness slowly over this

time, which has been brilliant.

Client stories

One of the first things I thought of was

my medication. The longest I had ever

gone in-between Tysabri infusions was

5 weeks. What we were hoping to do

on this trip was travel up the middle of

Australia, head across to the Kimberley

via the Gibb River Road, travel down

the Western Australian coast, visit

Perth then cross the Nullarbor back

to Adelaide. Not something we could

really do in 4–5 weeks! Looking at

the distance, along with all the things

we wanted to see and do, we would

probably need between 3 and 4

months!! Was this even a possibility?

I contacted my neurologist and ran the

trip idea past him. “Sorry Julie, you will

need to continue your infusions during

your trip away” he said. “Darn it”, I

thought. “OK, so where can I get them

done?” I asked. I was advised that the

infusions could only be done at Alice

Springs, Darwin, Port Hedland and

Perth hospitals. OK, I can work with

that, I thought.


‘WhatwewerehopingtodoonthistripwastravelupthemiddleofAustralia,headacrosstotheKimberleyviatheGibbRiverRoad,traveldowntheWesternAustraliancoast,visitPerththencrosstheNullarborbacktoAdelaide.’

My neurologist sent a referral through

to an associate in Perth, but after his

secretary contacted me to arrange an

appointment (!) I was advised by the

hospital contact that I would not need

to see him and that I could fly in, go to

the hospital, have the treatment then

fly home – yay!!

So I went ahead and booked 3 Tysabri

appointments at Sir Charles Gardiner

Hospital (SCGH), booked 2 return

flights – one from Kununurra and

the other from Broome (for the third

appointment, we would be in Perth) and

I also booked some accommodation

at a nearby university that was close

enough to just walk to the hospital. I

was advised by the hospital that all

Tysabri appointments are done in the

afternoon so I would need to fly in,

overnight, go to the hospital, have the

treatment, go back out to the airport

and fly back.

I got in contact with Glenda, one of the

nurses at the MS Society and asked

if she could help me get in touch with

the people I needed to speak to, to

arrange my appointments. I thought if

I broke the trip into month long chunks,

I could try to work out where we

would be every 4 weeks and organise

the appointments accordingly. Alice

Springs was too early in the trip as

I would have had my last infusion done

in Adelaide just days before we left,

so it looked like Kununurra would be

the first place. Firstly, I looked at flights

from Kununurra to Darwin and return

and soon realised that I would need

to overnight in Darwin as the flights

did not work in with the time it would

take to include a hospital visit. I then

looked at accommodation close to the

airport and hospital but I could not find

anything! Oh, this was all starting to

become way too hard!

I then decided to look at where we

would be in another 4 weeks time.

Leaving Kununurra, we wanted to

head across the top of Western

Australia via the Gibb River Road,

a dirt road almost 660kms long. That

would get us to Broome and my next

infusion. Again, the first thing I did was

look at flights but getting to and from

Darwin was again very difficult – more

so than in and out of Kununurra. There

was not even a flight every day!!

So, in desperation, I looked at Perth.

Yes, this could work. From both

Kununurra and Broome the flights were

more frequent and regular to Perth, so

I asked Glenda for some information

about MS infusions in Perth. From

the information Glenda received from

the MS Society in Perth, I was able

to contact the correct person at

Sir Charles Gardiner Hospital.

Client stories continued

At the beginning of June, we left on

our trip and everything went to plan,

but… (there’s always a ‘but’, isn’t there!).

When I got to the hospital for my first

infusion, I was told that I would need

to go to the hospital pharmacy and get

my prescription filled. My prescription…

what prescription??? In Adelaide I don’t

have a prescription, the medicine is

just there, and I thought my neurologist

would have sent through a script. No

script!! Well, after a few delays I was

able to get the script filled, and PAID

for! Again this was something that

does not happen in Adelaide but at

SCGH you buy your medicine before

each appointment – at a cost of a PBS

script- then go to your appointment!!

And yes, I did make it back in time to

make my flight – just!

The trip away was fantastic. We were

away for just over 3 months and my

health did not miss a beat. I was

able to do so many bushwalks in the

National Parks that we visited that my

husband commented on how much

fitter I am now compared to a few

Client stories


Client stories

there were some hiccups but it was all

sorted quickly and efficiently by the

hospital staff – thank you.

The only thing I would do differently

next time is travel with the script in

my ‘hot little hand’ and maybe see if I

could talk to someone who is currently

a Tysabri patient at the hospital I am

going to travel to (in this case SCGH).

‘IamsogladthatIdidallthehomeworkbeforewelefthomeandthatIkeptlookingatdifferentoptionsandwaysoffulfillingmydream…’

This way I would have known about

getting a script filled before the

appointment and I would have made

sure I had a script!!

Message learnt: do not let your illness

stop you from doing the things you

really want to do in life. Having MS and

being on Tysabri is a part of my life

but it will never define my life. I have a

travelling spirit and I now know I can

keep doing something that I truly love

– and that is a good thing for my mind,

body and spirit.

years ago. We went snorkelling every

day the whole way down the WA

coast- sometimes twice a day! This

really was a great trip.

I am so glad that I did all the homework

before we left home and that I kept

looking at different options and ways

of fulfilling my dream of travelling for

longer than 5 weeks at a time. Yes,


hard to change profession now.

I can work anywhere, all over

Australia, and long hours. Sometimes

for up to 60 hours a week. I might

only get a day off every fortnight,

which I do struggle with at times. It

has been harder since my diagnosis.

The company I work for try to

understand about my MS but it’s not

always easy. A few years ago they

sent me to Whyalla in the summer,

which was really difficult for my

fatigue. Thankfully now the majority

of my clients are in Adelaide so I am

able to stay local. I think the hardest

thing at work is my colleagues or

clients who see me every day forget

I have MS because I don’t look sick,

and people who get sick get over it.

It’s the continuity of having MS that

people tend to forget about.

There have been times when I have

struggled with MS at work and felt

like giving up. When I was placed in

Whyalla I really struggled with the

heat and fatigue. As soon as it hits 25

MichelleGrose

I have possibly the worst job that someone with MS could have. I’m a surveyor which involves working on construction sites –primarily outside in the heat.

This could mean helping build things

like a pump station or a wave energy

convertor at different locations locally

or Australia wide.

My job is basically to set out what

needs to be done and then the

construction team take over to build

it. It is physically demanding work

– I know it is probably the wrong

profession for me, but I love it.

Work is one of my passions.

I’m not sure how I got into surveying.

I was always good at maths at school

and then when I went to university,

I kept up my maths and started the

surveying degree. I have now been

working in the industry for 20 years.

I would like to do something that’s

easier on my body, but I feel it’s too


degrees, my body starts to cook from

the inside. At the time I felt like giving

up work, but I knew I couldn’t – I have

a mortgage and the usual bills to pay.

My MS nurse, Pam, rang to check up

on me around this time and she must

have caught me at a bad moment

and I just said ‘I can’t do this anymore’

and she put me onto Mary-Anne from

Multiple Solutions, who organised

assistance through the Workplace

Support program.

They were able to arrange a fridge for

the car and a battery backup along

with a couple of cooling vests. This

highlighted to me that the support is

there if I need it. Not just the medical

support I receive from Pam, but also

support to keep me working. Cooling

vests don’t solve all the problems, but

they help a lot. This was a really great

support for me. I don’t think employers

realise these things are in place to

help people manage their conditions.

When my boss found out that I needed

some assistance I’m sure he thought

Client stories


Client stories

‘MShasn’tstoppedmefromworkingordoingotherthingsIenjoy.Ijustfinishedanonlinediplomainphotography.IhavealwayshadaninterestinphotographysoIreallyenjoyeddoingthediploma.’

I was given a lumbar puncture – which

didn’t show anything. An MRI did

show lesions on my brain, but also

on my spine which, along with my

other symptoms, were consistent with

transverse myelitis. The neurologist

thought that because there was no

effect to my muscles, only sensation

issues, that it wasn’t MS, it was

transverse myelitis.

So that’s the diagnosis I was given.

The only treatment for this is steroids.

The condition did seem to ease, but

then it would come back especially

when I was stressed and in hot

weather, which all makes sense now.

There were little reminders that it was

there all the time that things weren’t

perfect, but no big reminders saying

‘yeah I’m here’.

It wasn’t until June 2010 that I was

diagnosed with MS after a bout

of optic neuritis. I was at work and

I couldn’t read the staff when I was

doing some levelling. Previous to this

my only symptoms had been sensation

issues in my legs and hands, so to

have something happen to my eyes

was a real concern.

I wasn’t too upset or bothered when

I was diagnosed; it just explained things

and made more sense. There was more

of an explanation for me when things

happened with my body. There is a

strong MS network out there and there

is treatment available, which makes it

an easier diagnosis to deal with.

MS hasn’t stopped me from working

or doing other things I enjoy. I

just finished an online diploma in

photography. I have always had an

interest in photography so I really

enjoyed doing the diploma. I was

asked to photograph a wedding

recently, which was great fun, but so

much hard work. It was a favour for a

friend and a fantastic day, but the next

day I slept until 4pm! I was completely

worn out by it.

he would need to pay for it. He was

quite surprised to find out he didn’t.

The fatigue has been around for years.

I remember working in Melbourne in

1998 and arriving home and just sitting

in the car – I couldn’t move. I think it’s

one of those things I’ve gotten used to.

But I slow down a lot more now. I know

that resting is going to do me more

good that pushing through it so I tend to

rest more than I have done in the past.

It wasn’t long before the fatigue

started that I remember the first time

I got sick. It was in 1997 when I was

working in Queensland. At the time no

one could figure out what was wrong

with me, they thought I had Ross River

Fever for a while. Knowing what I know

now, I know what it was – the first

signs of MS emerging.

Then when I was working in Sydney in

2000, I lost the feeling from my armpits

down. I was sent to a neurologist who

referred me to have all the tests and

they did check for MS.



We had 11,000 acres of land including

2,500 acres of durum wheat, wheat,

oats for hay and barley and as many

as 80 beef cattle and nearly 6,000

Marino sheep. I worked on the farm

with my family until 2004 when we

decided to sell the farm.

It’s hard to really pinpoint the first

indication that I had a problem. Small

stumbles here and there – including

one that surprised me one sunny

day on Jetty Road in Glenelg were

considered just a side-effect of getting

old – I actually felt like I looked drunk.

Until one day after my radio show,

I was coming out of a local petrol

station and I collapsed. I had lost

control of my body for a split second

and I found it rather difficult to get

back up on my feet.

When I went to my doctor he

recommended I see a neurologist

as soon as possible. I had an MRI on

my brain and spine after which the

doctor told me I had MS. I didn’t quite

know what to think at first and my family

was pretty shocked. I had to get used

Client stories

to the fact that I couldn’t do the same

things I used to anymore and for even

small things during my day I’d need

assistance. One of the bigger changes

was that I could no longer drive – my

licence was revoked in November last

year and I have to rely on access cabs

to get around. It was frustrating, but it’s

something I had to deal with.

Thankfully, my condition has never

stopped me. From the age of three my

dream was to be on the radio. During

2004 I completed a radio course after

many people said I had what they

termed to be “the gift of the gab”.

My only media experience to that point

was giving weather and crop reports

to the every now and then to the local

media. Short stints in car sales and

real estate between 2005 and 2007

would eventually lead to John Rohde

– the station manager of Port Pirie

radio station Trax 105.1fm – offering

me a chance to have my own show.

This was the opportunity I’d been

waiting for and a chance to realise

my childhood dream.

JohnHannan

My name is John Hannan and this is my story.

I was born in Port Pirie on the 8th of

October 1966. I lived on my parents’

farm where we would tend both

livestock and crops. The farm had

been in my family for over 125 years

spanning five generations.


‘Threeyearsago,Istartedmyweeklyshow“Johnno’sCountryJukebox”thatIstilldotothisday.I’mahugecountrymusicfanandplayallsortsofmoderncountryandnewcountryfromthelastdecade.’Having multiple sclerosis has given me

a different perspective on many things.

I definitely understand where disabled

people are coming from and how hard

it can be. I’m thankful that throughout

my journey, my family, friends and

healthcare professionals have all

formed a fantastic support network

for me. For my efforts I received a

certificate on behalf of the Disability

Client stories

Three years ago, I started my weekly

show “Johnno’s Country Jukebox” that

I still do to this day. I’m a huge country

music fan and play all sorts of modern

country and new country from the last

decade. Besides being a fantastic way

to connect with the community, the show

has given me the opportunity to meet

and interview all sorts of music artists

– including people like Lee Kernaghan,

Beccy Cole, Kasey Chambers, and

Troy Cassar-Daley. Interviewing these

celebrities is one of the highlights of my

job. This is a voluntary position that has

not been affected by my MS, but has

instead become a much larger part

of my life. It’s one of those things

I really look forward to during my week.

The only concession I’ve had to make

is moving my show from 8-11pm on

Tuesdays to 2-4pm on Wednesdays

after I had a fall one Tuesday night

after my show, and struggled getting

back up. Most of my listeners know

about my condition but I don’t go on

about it – I never look for sympathy.

Services in Port Pirie on Disability Day

in December last year.

One of my longer term goals is to travel

to various country music festivals.

In 2014 I hope to be at the Mildura

Country Music Festival, in 2015 my

aim is to attend the Tamworth Country

Music Festival and in 2016 I am hoping

to attend Rock the Hunter in the Hunter

Valley – another country music event.

Ahead of me is a lot of planning and

saving to get there, but it’s something

I really want to do because I’m not

going to let my MS slow me down.

I’m a firm believer that no matter the

circumstances, keep focused on your

goals and what you want to achieve.

By contributing your story to Network,

you can inspire others to be positive

and active whilst living with MS.

If you’d like to provide your story,

please email [email protected]

or phone (08)70026500.


Community fundraising


A big thank you to all of our Community Fundraisers who assisted us in raising much needed funds for the MS Society.

In 2013 the MS Society have had over

100 people/groups fundraise in the

community on behalf of the Society,

raising over $60,000 to help people

living with multiple sclerosis.

The goal is simple – to provide 100%

of services to 100% of people living

with multiple sclerosis.

Quiz nights, bike rides, canoeing the

length of the Murray River, girls nights,

horse rides, company birthday parties

and workplace collection days are

just a few of the ways people have

raised funds for the MS Society. We’ve

featured a few great stories below.

To hold your own fundraiser for the

Multiple Sclerosis Society please

contact Sonya on [email protected]

or 70026500.

Murray4MS began their journey to

canoe 2185 km down the Murray River,

starting in Albury Wodonga, NSW on

4 March and completing their journey

in Goolwa, SA on 18 May. Darren

says “I have been supporting the MS

Society for some time now, however,

a close friend was diagnosed with the

disease in 2011, and I knew I had to do

something more.”

The AnsettDowntoEarthClub

have been long time donors to the

MS Society. Each year the ex Ansett

flight attendants hold a movie night

where part proceeds are donated

to the MS Society.

MakenzieandMadison are some of

the youngest champions of the MS

cause. At age 5 Makenzie held her own

fundraiser for the MS Society because

she “wants to help people”.

Makenzie rode her bike 8km from Trott

Park to Morphett Vale with her Dad

by her side. This year Makenzie and

Madison held a movie day with their

friends and family. These two champions

have raised over $1,200 for the MS

Society through their fundraisers.

In May 2013 CountryHomeAdvocacy

Project, Lower North (CHAP) started

holding weekly themed casual days to

raise money for the MS Society.

The ladies in the Clare office have a

rather close connection to multiple

sclerosis and are aware that every

little bit helps people living with MS.



AwriteupfromMadisonand

Makenzie’sMum,Kelly.

Fundraising is a big deal in our

household. Both Madison and

Makenzie have helped their Mum

organise fundraisers for various

charities over the last few years. A few

years back, Makenzie approached me

asking to do a fundraiser of her own.

We sat down and discussed that it

wasn’t just a matter of asking people

for money. There were procedures to

follow. First she would have to decide

on who she would raise money for.

This was a very easy decision for her.

Their Nana’s sister, (my Aunty) has

MS. I then told her we had to register

with MS so they knew we would be

raising funds for them. It was then

up to Makenzie to decide how she was

going to raise money. At the time she

was almost six and decided to do an

eight kilometre bike ride with her

dad and get people to sponsor her.

She raised $614.60.

It was about 18 months later that

both my girls, Madison and Makenzie

decided to do a fundraiser together.

Again there was no question that the

money raised would go to MS. After

many ideas, it was decided that a

movie night would be how the money

would be raised. They sold over 100

tickets to Monsters University at Wallis

Cinemas. Both of the girls hosted the

event and amazed the crowd with their

confidence in speaking to them on

the microphone. They explained why

they were fundraising and then drew

out the raffle tickets. The total amount

raised for this fundraiser was $696.00.

Both my husband and I are extremely

proud of our selfless girls and encourage

them to fundraise in the future.

RobertTonkin spent his October

long weekend in a very different way

to many others. While most people

were off holidaying or enjoying the

extra day at home, Robert was busking

at the Stansbury markets for the MS

Society. Robert raised over $400 due

to generous donations from the public

enjoying his busking.

TorrensTransitturned 13 in July this

year, at their birthday celebrations

some 500 employees and their

partners danced the night away with

fantastic entertainment provided by

the evening’s MC, Amanda Blair and

a number of talented artists including

the very talented David Campbell.

Raffles, and auctions saw a number

of generously donated items ranging

from a children’s swing set to an

autographed Crows Guernsey to big

screen TV’s go under the hammer

with $12,096.20 being raised. Torrens

Transit matched the amount of money

raised by its employees and proudly

donated a total of $24,192.40 to the

MS Society.

The VeteransandLadiesCycling

ClubofSA have been making fantastic

contributions to the MS Society since

2000. Each year the club dedicate one

of their bike rides to the Society with

proceeds made on the day donated.


TEAMMSandTEAMMS–staff,familyandfriends

TEAM MS is for people with a disability. People of any ability can swim in TEAM MS as they can break the rules and can have helper to assist if needed. Registration fee for TEAM MS is $20.

If you are connected with the MS

Society in any way: member, client,

family, carer, friend, staff or student but

do not have a disability please register

for TEAM MS staff, family and friends.

We are looking for swimmers, helpers,

sponsors, timekeepers and lap

counters to ensure that TEAM MS is

even more successful than last year.

Register online at

www.msmightyswim.com.au

TEAMMSContact:

LeeO’Connell

MS Society Physiotherapist

MS Mighty Swim

MS Mighty Swim

12 | 2013 MS Network Magazine

www.ms.asn.au|The magazine of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of SA & NT

Modbury31–33 Smart Road

Modbury SA 5092

PO Box 525

Modbury SA 5092

P (08) 8203 6600 F (08) 8203 6699

Salisbury6–8 John Street

Salisbury SA 5108

PO Box 1069

Elizabeth Vale SA 5112

P (08) 8256 3700 F (08) 8256 3749

Woodville51 Woodville Road

Woodville SA 5011

PO Box 16

Woodville SA 5011

P (08) 8345 8700 F (08) 8268 4224

ChristiesBeachLevel 1, 111 Beach Road

Christies Beach SA 5165

PO Box 885

Noarlunga Centre SA 5168

P (08) 8392 0100 F (08) 8392 0199

DarwinNightcliff Community Centre

11/18 Bauhinia Street

Nightcliff NT 0810

PO Box 867

Nightcliff NT 0814

P (08) 8948 5300 F (08) 8948 5344

Enfield273 Main North Road

Enfield SA 5082

P (08) 8360 0800 F (08) 8360 0899

MorphettValeUnit 3

204 Main South Road

Morphett Vale SA 5162

P (08) 8187 2100 F (08) 8187 2190

MSAssist1800812311

HeadOffice/MawsonLakesEndeavour House

Technology Park

Module 6E

11–15 Fourth Avenue

Mawson Lakes SA 5095

PO Box 377

Salisbury South DC SA 5106

P (08) 7002 6500 F (08) 7002 6599

Brighton7A Sturt Road

Brighton SA 5048

PO Box 275

Brighton SA 5048

P (08) 8198 1400 F (08) 8377 0711

www.facebook.com/MSSocietyofSANT

www.twitter.com/MS_SA_NT

LocationsClaire – MS Assist.

Network - Summer 2013/14

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Transcript of Network - Summer 2013/14