Wheels in motion for better wheels

Lia Bell has been fundraising for two years, including selling handmade cards, but her dream of owning an all-terrain wheelchair still looks a long way off.

The 47-year-old has a form of cerebral palsy which is increasingly debilitating, and causes chronic pain, despite numerous surgeries on her legs.

Standing and walking is extremely difficult and so she says she is grateful for the basic wheelchair that enables her to get out of the house.

However, any journeys from Lia’s Arkles Bay home are limited to flat areas.

Her husband and teenage son provide a lot of support, but being more independent is a key goal for Lia. She dreams of being able to afford an Omeo all terrain wheelchair, based on Segway technology, which she says cost around $23,000.

Such a chair could take her up hills and even onto the beach.

“Why not dream big?” she says. “The beach is right there, but frustratingly out of reach. I know this is a ‘want’, not a need –there are a lot of people with more serious needs – so I am striving myself to earn it.”

Lia says she didn’t think she had an artistic bone in her body, but when a friend taught her to make intricate paper cards, she discovered she had a knack, and became hooked.

“It’s also time consuming, which is good because I spend a lot of time sitting at home and now there’s something to do,” she says.

Each card takes an hour or more to make and she has 70 different designs. Next month, on July 7, she will have a stall at the mid-winter Christmas market in Ōrewa. So far, she has raised just under $6000. Lia sells her cards on her Facebook page bellcraftcards, and at local fashion store Mainstreet in Ōrewa.

Lia is grateful for the standard issue wheelchair she currently uses, but it has big limitations, unlike the Omeo, which is based on Segway technology.

Lia would love to be able to access Arkles Bay beach, near her home, independently.

Plants

are medicine, says Silverdale based homeopath Ngahere (Tricia Curtis).

Workshop focuses on Maori health perspective

Learning how to extract health benefits from native plants is the subject of a workshop at Whangaparāoa library. The workshop, and another one being held at Ōrewa library, promote Hauora mo te Hapori or Health for the Community from a traditional Māori wellness perspective. Ngahere, who is leading the workshop, says the first step is knowing your plants. She trained as a classical homeopath and has worked in this area for more than 30 years. She has been based at Te Herenga Waka o Ōrewa community marae in Silverdale for around 12 years and Maori medicine is a big part of her work. The workshop will include making kawakawa balm and trying various tonics made of native plants such as kumarahou and kohekohe. “I’ll be talking about native plants, and weeds, and what they can be used for, as well as some of the philosophy behind traditional Maori wellness,” Ngahere says. She the Maori wellness approach is a holistic one, where plants are whanau (family) – you have a relationship with them. The workshop at Whangaparāoa Library is on Monday, June 19 from 1.30pm-3pm. Ōrewa Library is presenting Four seasons of Health and Wellness by Lee-Anne, on Thursday, June 29, 11am-12.30pm. This will celebrate holistic Māori health in three areas – Hinengaro (mind), Tinana (body) and Wairua or (spirit). Booking is essential as spaces are limited – call into the library to find out more.