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Page from the Past Community Correspondence WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30,1994 ■ . by Lorraine Manfredo Christine Powers has the interests of a typical teenager. The 14-year-old Bowmanville High School student likes romance novels, writing poetry, working on computers and asserting her independence. independence. But, because Christine has cerebral cerebral palsy, earning her adult rights will be tougher than it is for her able-bodied friends. "During my first year at high school the teachers preferred that I stay in my chair. They didn't like, me walking for fear I'd fall and sue. I wasn't even supposed to go to the washroom alone!" she says, the outrage outrage still there. "I mean, come on. This is high school. I want my freedom." freedom." In the end, she won her privacy. "Now I"ve decided to just do things on my own." Christine has been chosen as this year's Easier Seals Tammy and has already appeared on the CBC telethon telethon broadcast last Sunday. One of her biggest joys is surprising surprising anyone who doubts what she can do. But proving her capacity can be tough when she is surrounded by ovcrprotective adults. "I went for a walk to the park the other day and I was surprised at the number of people who came up and asked me if I needed help," she recalled. recalled. "Up until a few months ago, I used to try to avoid situations where my walking would attract attention." attention." But now she has the courage to talk to curious kids and concerned adults while out on walks in her quiet Courtice neighborhood. "Sometimes, with kids, I have to sit right down with them and explain why I need crutches, she says. "Because "Because if they don't know, things aren't going to change." Educating her peers is a job Christine takes to naturally. While still in senior public school, she met many children who seemed afraid to even touch her. De- TAMMY - Christine Powers has been chosen as this year's Easter Seals Society Tammy. Easter Seals funds have helped the 14-year- old Courtice teen go to summer camp for for two weeks every year, where she has met many wonderful friends. The organization has also pitched in to purchase costly medical equipment. termined to break through their fear, Christine made a point of asking one particular girl for help with her braces. Bit by bit, her classmate overcame her fear, and by the end of the school term the two could laugh at how scared she once was. "It was kind of neat to see how she progressed over the year," says Christine. Christine's parents are doing their best to give their daughter more independence, but admit it is hard to let go of a child with special needs. Bernice Powers is unable to forget forget the time not too long ago that her daughter fell in the school yard and consequently lost her memory for days. She still tries to get Christine Christine into, a helmet when she heads out the door on her crutches, but Christine refuses and laughs at the mere suggestion of an elastic head- band to keep her glasses planted more firmly on her nose. Lately Bernice has come to realize: realize: "You've got to start letting them pick and choose what they want to do and they've got to take the consequences." Christine's path to independence is made infinitely easier with help from agencies like the Easter Seals and local service clubs 'The average person doesn't have any idea about the financial pressures that come with raising a special needs child," says Mike Powers. The parents work a lot of overtime, get penalized for it at tax time and sometimes wind up neglecting neglecting their families for it. The family recently had a lift in stalled in their van and had the roof extended, thanks, in part, to the Rotary Rotary Club of Bowmanville through Easter Seals funds and the Knights of Columbus and the Optimists of Oshawa. But, for the most part, Mike has managed to install ramps and chair lifts on thé stairs himself. The costs are high. A wooden ramp at their old Oshawa address cost over $3,000. Christine was only able to qualify for a new $16,000 electric stand-up chair because of donations from the Optimists of Whitby and the Lions Club of Bowmanville. Bowmanville. Mike's insurance coverage coverage at work wouldn't pay for it The chair, expected to arrive in four weeks, converts to a standing position. It will allow Christine to "And there's her dignity to consider, consider, too," adds Mike. "You get to an age where you can't have your dad lifting you anymore." Christine looks forward to the new chair and the new freedom it will give her. Beyond that, she looks forward to a future improving her community community and helping others. She has been learning sign language language from a tutor and has contacted contacted the Deaf Society hoping to be assigned assigned as a companion to seniors or shut-ins with hearing impairments. "And I'm thinking of approaching approaching the principal at BHS with two other students who use wheelchairs to get changes to the telephone and the fountain. We can't reach the Christine has been chosen as this year's Easter Seals Tammy and has already appeared on the CBC Telethon broadcast. go to the store on her own, join in a badminton game or just do the dishes. All of these are things she couldn't manage in her wheelchair or leaning on her crutches. "If we want her to be independent independent she has to have this equipment," equipment," says Bernice. coin slot on the phone and trying to get a drink at the fountain is such a production." Bernice Powers is proud and supportive supportive of her daughter's determination. determination. "Not too many 14-year-olds plan to take on the principal," she says. Oshawa General Hospital may soon get the Cancer Treatment Centre Centre area residents petitioned for last year, Durham East's MPP said on Friday morning, March 25. "When the Premier came to the Oshawa General Hospital, he indicated indicated to me, in private, his support," said MP Gord Mills in reference to Bob Rae's recent visit to Oshawa. "We are encouraging members of the public and community groups to take a moment to write to the Minister." On Monday, April 11, the key players from the Ministry of Health, the Ontario Cancer Treatment and Research Foundation, directors of the Oshawa General Hospital and other MPPs for Durham Region will meet to discuss the "nitty-gritty details," details," said Mills on Friday morning. The group which initiated the petition petition campaign last year called itself itself Citizens for a Cancer Centre (CFACC). The Oshawa-bascd group lobbied the provincial government for a centre in Durham Region. CFACC founders Sylvia Blomme, Donna Kingdon and Mar- yanne Sholdra have all had their personal lives touched by cancer. The announcement came as a welcomed surprise to CFACC members members as they had gathered at Rogers Cable in Oshawa to tell the media about resuming their efforts to lobby the government during Cancer Month, April 1994. "We had no idea of the meetings coming up so quickly," said Sholdra. Sholdra. "We arc more than amazed, we arc simply delighted." In view of the announcement from Gord Mills, the group will be stepping up the campaign, said Sholdra. The surprise announcement from Mills came as the members were calling on the public to lobby the government through letters, "We arc encouraging members of the public and community groups to take a moment to write to the Minister," Minister," said Sholdra. "We need to let Iter (Ruth Grier, Minister of Health) know directly that Durham citizens want and deserve deserve to have these facilities available available within our own community," said Kingdon. "OGH already has a wide range of cancer care services as well as extensive extensive network of specialized staff, equipment and necessary support services. The addition of radiation therapy would make for a complete and centrally located facility for cancer patients." CFACC members will be at the Oshawa Centre every Saturday next month (April) to give residents the opportunity to sign postcards of support support for a centre in Oshawa. Volunteers Volunteers will be on hand from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each Saturday. "The minister needs to hear from us and to know just how supportive this community is of this important project," said Blomme. Last year in April, CFACC organized organized the collection of more than 15,000 signatures on a petition in support of a full cancer treatment centre at Oshawa General Hospital to serve the citizens of Durham Region Region and beyond. Mills presented the petition to the Ontario Legislature. Legislature. Mills has been a supporter of CFACC from the beginning. In fact, he was present to help launch the petition at the Oshawa Centre last April. . "The minister needs to hear from us and to know just how supportive this community is of this important project." In Clarington, residents who support support the concept of having a treatment treatment centre close at hand, will be able to pick up postcards at Mills' office located in the Vcltri Complex in Bowmanville. Sholdra told The Statesman she is looking for volunteers in tills area who would be willing to set up a kiosk in die local mall to help with the campaign. Blomme litis been n part of the effort since day one. In 1993, she made the trip to Thunder Bay to have radiation treatments treatments rallier than wail the four months it would have taken to get through the Toronto hospital waiting waiting lists. Radiation treatment cleans up extra extra cancer cells that linger after surgery. surgery. Blomme had a mastectomy in late 1992. With a radiation treatment centre in Oshawa, residents in Durham Region, Region, and those east and north of the region would not have to travel a£ far. As April 11 draws near, the members of CFACC will continue their post card campaign and encourage encourage Durham Region residents tc write "one-page letters of support' to Grier. Those who wish to write should address their letters to: The Hon. Ruth Grier, Minister of Health, 10th Floor, Hepburn Block, 80 Grosven- or St., Toronto, M7A 2C4. For more information regarding CFACC call (905) 579-2577. Citizens for A Cancer Centre (CFACC) founders Sylvia Blomme, Donna Kingdon and Mary arme Sholdra received good news from Durham East MPP Gord Mills on Friday, March 25. Mills announced that on April 11, 1994, the key players to bring a cancer treatment centre to Durham Region would be having a meeting. This is good news to CFACC, which has been lobbying the provincial government to establish a cancer treatment centre at the Oshawa General Hospital. Ms By Lorraine Manfredo Marybcth MacNcil can't do without a scale in her office, but she refuses to let it dominate the room or her clients' thoughts. The new dietician at Memorial Memorial Hospital has attempted to upstage upstage the imposing scale near lier desk with colorful wall posters of the four essential food groups. Yet, many people who walk through her door arc still so consumed consumed with thoughts about their weight that their first instinct is to step on the scale and groan at the reading. "I don't want the scale to be the dictator of people's moods or body image," MacNcil says. "It's how a person feels that's most important." A low weight in itself is not an accurate measure of a person's person's health, she insists. As a dietician, dietician, her job is to promote healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. lifestyles. Tills means talking about the benefits of nutritious foods to her clients, getting them to pay attention to product labels in supermarkets, supermarkets, getting them to plan their menu and to lake charge of the foods they cat. Hand in hand with this recipe for good health goes regular exercise. MacNcil will be leading a "Healthier Eating Lifestyles" program at Memorial Hospital next month that is already starting starting to fill up. Classes commence on Tuesday, Tuesday, April 5th, and will run for 12 weeks. Space is still available and there will be room for 20 people. Some of the topics to be covered covered over the program are: goal setting, general nutrition, Canada's Canada's Food Guide, vitamins and minerals, body image and how to assess body mass and how to increase increase how fast your body bums calorics. HEALTHIER EATING » Marybcth MacNcil will be helping folks make wise choices about the foods they cat at an upcoming Healthier Eating Lifestyles course offered at Memorial Hospital starting this April. The new hospital dietician urges iter clients to get back to the basics of good food and regular exercise. The lessons arc designed to last a lifetime. "Living a healthy lifestyle is something you can't turn on or off. It's a continuous process." She doesn't normally endorse diets that restrict certain foods, because they just increase temptation. temptation. "We've got to get back to the basics of eating good food and being active. It's a circle." Everyone knows a little about nutrition, but everyone is curious to know more, she adds. Joining a structured class is a great idea for those who need motivation because the classes can provide that motivation initially. initially. People who want professional professional advice can consult the in- stnictor, MacNcil has been the dietician dietician at Memorial since the beginning beginning of February. She comes to Bowmanville from Nova Scotia where she earned her science degree degree from St. Francis Xavier University. University. She served her internship at Ottawa Civic Hospital in 1993. To register, qnll Mary belli MacNcil at 623-3331.