Ben Loves Swimming.

I want to talk about Ben who I have only met recently.  He turned nine years old a couple of weeks ago and sadly he is not very well.  One of the things Ben used to enjoy before he became unwell, was swimming.  He wanted to get back in the water and have some fun but he requires much support.  Hence to my good fortune I had the opportunity to meet the amazing Ben.

In the past month Ben has also developed sudden onset total vision loss.

A scary predicament to be in a noisy, unfamiliar public environment and to attempt physical activity in total darkness and with little muscular strength or endurance.   Not for Ben.  He is amazing.  With a slow start we quickly progressed to duck diving, floating, various strokes, somersaults and finished with a massive bomb.  It really was a big splash Ben!!

Ben has not been in the water for years, but no one would have known that.  Any activity I suggested we try, he is up for.  He really is very inspirational and brave.  Well done Ben, great swimming.  I hope you are reading this!

Ben and myself last week.

My Friend "Wheels".

Amanda is her real name, but I often call her Wheels.  She is very special and over the years of knowing her, she has inveigled her way into my heart.

I first met Wheels in 1996 and she had just turned 13 years old. She had been involved in a motor vehicle accident when she was 10 year old.  At the time of the accident she had been the middle passenger in the back seat of the car.  She was wearing a lap seat belt (that is a seat belt without the strap that crosses the shoulder and upper chest).  On impact her little body was thrown forward with great force.  The seat belt literally separated her upper and lower body, resulting in permanent damage to her spinal cord.  From then on she was officially or medically know as a T10 Paraplegic.  She lost the function of her body parts below her Thoracic 10 vertebra. She could no longer walk.  She has been in a wheelchair ever since.

Amanda was referred to Heartwell by the Transport Accident Commission (TAC).  On the day I met her she was a tiny thing in a big chair.  She looked small and weak and didn’t appear to have the attitude that many 13 year olds can carry.  She had great big brown eyes that regarded us warily.  She was clearly thinking “what’s in store for me now and what am I doing here?” Along with “here we go again, another appointment my mother has dragged me to”.  To this day I believe it was our two Boxer dogs she spied outside the gym window, that really won her over.  Neither of us knew then that we would spend the next sixteen years as firm friends.

TAC originally sent Amanda to us for two main reasons.  She needed to increase her upper body strength so could more easily make all her daily transfers.  That is wheelchair to car to wheelchair, wheelchair to bed to wheelchair, wheelchair to commode to wheelchair , etc.  Secondly, prior to her accident, Amanda was a competitive swimmer.  She wanted the opportunity to return to swimming for recreational and fitness purposes.  And so began a regime that would inspire any athlete.  Three sessions a week of steadfast determination.

Twice a week we would work out in the gym, pushing weights and grinding the arm crank.  She would work hard, as hard as she could.  Progress was slow but she got stronger.  

Once a week we would hit the pool.  She would swim lap after lap for an hour.  She was fearless and determined and always worked to improve.  She appeared to not notice all the stares of the general public as she transfered from her wheelchair to the waterproof pool chair.  She would not look sideways as I quickly as possible wheeled her down the pool ramp into the water, were from the outside at least, her disability would disappear under the water.  I regularly needed to remind myself that she was only 13 years old.  Her composure was, and still is, incredible.

I have many stories to tell of my friend Wheels.  Keep up the fight for good health girlfriend!

All that smiling, not enough sweatin'!

Amanda at 15 years old in a ten kilometre Fun Run.