north
queensland group
reports' archive
Archive of past reports from the SSPA North Queensland Group.
2001 |
2002 | 2004
The Northern Qld. SSPA Group had a meeting in Cairns on July 21. Four families were able to have their first consultations with Professor David Sillence, which were very profitable. A 35 year old mother and her 2 year old son were diagnosed with hypochondroplasia, a 6 year old girl was diagnosed with SED, and a 74 year old lady was diagnosed with achondroplasia - after all these years! A 12 year old boy with brittle bones found out a lot of information about his condition also.
We had a BBQ at someone's house where ten families gathered, with half of us meeting for the first time ever. From Scotland we had a mother with her 7 year old boy with brittle bones. He was about 1 metre tall and such an amazing person! Professor Sillence was able to stay for about an hour before his conference meeting, which gave us a great opportunity to catch up with him. One family drove nine hours from Mackay to be there!
During the BBQ, 12 year old Grant with diastrophic dwarfism, who is meant to be limited and careful with what he does, hopped out of his wheelchair and climbed up the waterfall rocks of the pool and jumped in several times, much to Professor Sillence's horror and amazement!! Our 15 year old computer whiz, Christopher, was busy getting information off the internet for our newly diagnosed folk, and he's keen to start a website for our NQ Group next year! Most of the other kids played cricket, while others got acquainted.
Our Group members are now able to be seen by the Paediatrics service team from the Royal Children's Hospital in Brisbane, which has about six specialists in different fields under Professor Sillence and Dr. Jim McGill's training. The service team come to Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns twice a year in their bus for consultations, which is a wonderful service to have. We're hoping to have a conference with them in November in Townsville for our Group.
Our last meeting for the year will be in December in Rockhampton, where we have yet to meet a few more families for the first time. At each of these towns we get media coverage, which is good advertising for the NQSSPA Group.
That's our latest news from up here in north tropical Queensland.
Regards,
Heather Knuth, NQSSPA Co-ordinator
The Nth Qld branch hasn't had any get-togethers this year, due to distance. However, individually we catch up with each other when we can. I was able to catch up with Cairns folk while there.
Chris Dickens, aged 17 years, won numerous medals in Spain recently at a para-olympics swimming carnival, and Grant Patterson has won numerous medals in local swimming carnivals. The 'Sporting Wheelies' has been great for our kids up north.
Regards,
Heather Knuth, NQSSPA Co-ordinator
The Nth Qld group had their first meeting of the year in Townsville on Sat 13th at a noisy Kids Mania playground. One family drove 5hrs from Ravenshoe near Cairns and another drove 5hrs from Mackay, and I myself drove 2hrs from Charters Towers to meet a new family Sandra and Greg who have a child with achondroplasia, who was diagnosed at three months of age. Sandra's mother in Townsville contacted me via email and we all spoke by phone and answered many questions and fears. They said they were coming to Townsville again and would love to meet our group so we had a lovely time getting to know them. We would now like to see the Brisbane group follow up by just having a casual get together so they can meet others in their local town.
We are going to ask Prof. Silence if he can visit Nth Qld again also.
We are planning to come to the Qld convention next year and looking forward to it.
Two of our SED children in Townsville have just had spinal fusions which is quite an amazing sight and another SED child is about to have one in May.
My husband Shane won the last State election for the seat of Charters Towers electorate which is one of the 4 biggest seats in Qld (has 33 towns) He is also the Shadow Minister for Disabilities which we are delighted about. We are taking the kids to parliament this week to see Shane get sworn in and opening of parliament etc. Will stay in his room at parliament, enjoying his new car, office, wage etc but you get the critics as well as the glamour.
A funny statement from my son Daniel, 6yrs old, when at doctors and the doctor was looking at his perforated eardrum. The doctor said “see the hole”? and Daniel’s eyes opened wide and shocked he said "What, can you see my brain"!
That’s all our news for this term. We plan to have a get together in Mackay in June holidays and Ravenshoe in September.
Happy Easter All!
Regards,
Heather Knuth
We are meeting in Mackay on 4th July.
A film crew from Melbourne and Townsville’s genetics clinics did a video on Daniel and people with a few other disabilities to show doctors in Universities studying medicine.
Regards,
Heather Knuth
Secretary, Nth Qld