7 November 2016
Residents’ News
Talk, text and…Russell Crowe?
Texting family and friends is something that we can often take for granted, but for Wooloowin share housemate Nick, the ability to regularly message his family and friends without having to rely on other people to do it for him is a very exciting milestone.
We spoke to Nick’s mum, Gill about how this new technology has changed Nick’s life.
“Nick received his first communication device when he was nine, and since then has upgraded to a new model every four or five years, each more advanced than the last.
Last year, Nick received a new device and recently we attended a conference in Melbourne that brought together speech pathologists, teachers, device users and their family members for two days of learning and sharing of ideas.
Nick was shown how to control his TV, the lights in his room and a mobile phone all from the touch of a button. It is an especially exciting milestone now that Nick has an iPhone, as he regularly texts his friends and family. Nick loves his new device, and he has even been able to choose a voice with an Aussie accent! The voice is called ‘Russell’, so Nick has called his device “Russell Crowe”.
Being able to communicate like this has had a huge impact on Nick’s life and that of his family – Nick has a voice of his own and he is able to communicate comprehensively and broadly. His life would have been very different and incredibly frustrating without access to this technology, and we are immensely grateful Nick was given the opportunity to have the device early in his life. I would hate to have missed out on all the long and sometimes funny conversations we have had over the years.”
Pictured: Nick at the conference in Melbourne.
Four green thumbs!
Thanks to a generous donation from Hand Heart Pocket, the charity of Freemasons Queensland, the garden at the Youngcare Wooloowin Share House has been beautifully transformed. The housemates have been busy putting their green thumbs to work planting the edible garden and enjoying the beauty of the fruit trees and trellised jasmine.
Pictured: Nick giving Courtney Phelps (Youngcare), Carol Bacon (Hand Heart Pocket) and Melissa Morrison (Youngcare) a tour of the new garden at the Wooloowin Share House.
Wooloowin’s 1st birthday
A gathering of family, friends, laughter and cake was the perfect way to celebrate the first birthday of the Youngcare Share House at Wooloowin. July 2016 marked one year since the beautiful share house became a home to four young Aussies with high care needs, and we’ve loved seeing the housemates settle into their new home, enjoying the choice, independence and dignity that life at the share house brings.
A big thank you to Tim Nicholls MP who very generously donated the celebration cake!
Pictured: Friends, family and the local community celebrating the first birthday of the Youngcare Wooloowin Share House.
