Howick and Pakuranga Times September 21 2017

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Howick and Pakuranga

A NAME YOU CAN TRUST! Thursday, September 21, 2017

Est. 1972

Put your clocks forward one hour at 2am this Sunday Vol 46, No 38

General 271 8000 ■ Classified 271 8055 ■ Delivery Enquiries 271 8014 ■ Website www.times.co.nz

Lightning blows up garden, fuseboxes

for hair that looks great and feels great

124096-V4

Daylight Saving starts this weekend!

By NICK KRAUSE

1/10 The Terraces, 24 Wellington St, Howick 535 9554 salon@terraceshair.co.nz www.terraceshair.co.nz

JH9902-V2

A Cockle Bay couple is counting its lucky stars after lightning struck its property, blasting the garden and blowing up two fuseboxes. Ashley and wife Lorna (they asked not to publish their surname) and their dog have had to move out of the Trelawn Place house following the lightning strike on Monday at around 4.50pm. Ashley said lightning struck the Norfolk pine on the property. The percussion from the strike was enough to blow out the neighbour’s windows. “It blew the water feature out of the garden, tracked into the house and blew the fuse in the street. It took out our fuseboxes in the garage and downstairs – a cover was (blown out) and embedded in the gib (of the wall opposite),” he said. A part of the bamboo fence, entwined with copper wire, was blown out too. “I was working in the office – it was like a blue flash... it was three to five seconds,” said Ashley. “The house filled with smoke – the smell of burning wires.” An electrician, power company Vector and an insurance company assessor were surveying the damage.

“Proud to be trusted lawyers in our Community”

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Need nurturing childcare or rewarding work? We’d love to chat to you today! – please contact Stephany on 0800 78 33 78 or stephany@stemsfromhome.co.nz

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127273-V5

Don’t miss Ag Day! P2

PHOTOS KAREN CORY TOUSSAINT

Giving Freddie a voice By THERESE HENKIN

B

right, wacky T-shirts will be on full display in the Stickland household next week in support of their little boy Freddie and Loud Shirt Day. When 8-month old Freddie was born, he was diagnosed with profound hearing loss and just three months ago he was fitted with cochlear implants. After being blindsided by the diagnosis, Freddie’s parents, Mark and Amanda, say watching him giggle as he heard sound for the first time was an incredible experience. “[Cochlear implants] are not a cure for deafness but they allow him access to sound, and because of them he will learn to talk just like his hearing peers, something that

never would have been possible 40 years ago,” says Amanda. While Freddie has a long road ahead of him with habilitation sessions to assist with achieving developmental skills, thanks to the Hearing House and the cochlear implants Freddie will live a “happy, normal, extraordinary life,” she says. They say the team at The Hearing House have quickly become like family, and they are blown away with the support and kindness they offer every family they work with. “When Freddie got switched on, which is what they call it when they turn on the implants, they had a switch on party for us. For them it’s another kid they have helped and they celebrate that,” says Mark. Cochlear implants in New Zealand are government funded but

Freddie Stickland and mum Amanda enjoy some play time. Photo Therese Henkin

The Hearing House relies heavily on donations to be able to offer deaf children and their families a range of

free audiology services and therapy. The couple wants everyone to take part in Loud Shirt Day by dressing up in their brightest shirt to support and celebrate giving deaf kids a voice. “Deaf kids can hear with support and this is a real success story where the government in years gone by have made decisions that have really set up a good infrastructure to support kids like Fred,” Mark says. “But the Hearing House still needs public donations to be able to offer families the level of support that they do.” ■ Loud Shirt Day is on Friday, September 29 and is the annual appeal for The Hearing House and the Southern Cochlear Implant Programme. You can register at www. loudshirtday.org.nz.

JAMI-LEE ROSS

Feel free to contact me anytime. A

PO Box 230109, Botany, Auckland 2163

P

09 271 3255

E

botanymp@parliament.govt.nz

W

www.jami-leeross.co.nz

All about your wellbeing 5 Children’s dentistry 5 Tongue tie release –

using water laser

5 Safe mercury

127963-V2

without extracting teeth

5 Interest free terms

over 1 year

amalgam removal

Sanctuary Dental

Funded by the Parliamentary Service and authorised by Jami-Lee Ross MP, 309 Botany Road, Botany, Auckland.

5 Orthodontic treatment

Unit 20, 2 Bishop Dunn Place, Botany

09 273 2173

The Dentist

166 King Street, Pukekohe

09 238 4619

127809-V10

MP FOR BOTANY


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