“My name is Denis, and I live in Howick.
What I’d say to myself as an 11 year old is I would hope that you’d enjoy school, that you listen hard to the teacher, carry out the homework instructions, and be friendly and make friends with the classroom folk, and absolutely concentrate on your work, and get your homework done with the right spirit to have it done.
For children, getting an education is very useful for them later in life. To know the basics of English, Maths, and get used to mixing with others. Respecting the teacher and mixing socially with the other teammates in the school.
I grew up in Oxford, North Canterbury. I went to primary school and then I had a chance to go to Rangiora High School where my Dad attended. They have a farm there and we grew up in a farming area in Oxford, so I used to travel on the Midland bus. I’d catch the bus at half past seven in the morning and head to Rangiora which was about 30 – 40 minutes away and I would return home after school. One thing I had to do before school was to milk our cow. Her name was Bluey and I would take a seat, and pat her, and I’d milk her out in the paddock and I did the same when I got home from school. So that kept me busy.
I’m involved with the Brain Injury Association, because my eldest son got hit by a drunk driver in the car, suffered a brain injury and, we were very fortunate to meet other people with family that had suffered a similar accident. I found that a great help in a large city, for such an unusual injury to one of the family. So I was very thrilled to get support, because I knew very little about sufferers of brain injury.
My son was only 21 when he was hit by a drunk driver. He was travelling with some friends back from Waiwera Hot Pools when a drunk driver crossed the road and hit them head-on. Very unfortunately my son’s friend who was driving got killed, and my son’s girlfriend was killed. My son suffered a brain injury, and of course was taken to hospital. We of course didn’t know anything about brain injury, and the consequences of a brain injury. We were very fortunate the neurosurgeon – Mr Wrightson and a skilled doctor in brain injury – Doctor Dorothy Dromwell met us at the hospital and explained the problem that we were going to face, and the time that it would likely take for my son to recover from this brain injury. It would be many years before ah, he would gain his memory and undertake certain tasks.
My son’s accident happened 30 years ago. In those days there was very scarce information available. It was the neurosurgeon and the doctor that provided the advice, and it was many years later that the brain injury association was formed by a number of concerned parents, and the people that suffered a brain injury. So 30 years ago, unfortunately there wasn’t the support which there is today. Today there’s 15 independent associations around New Zealand, and the national association which talks with ACC, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Social Development to get support for those people that have suffered a brain injury. My son is now 50 years old. He has been limited in what he could take on in the way of jobs but he has still got a good personality.
He’s very good face to face with people. His memory has been effected. It’s not great, but basic short term memory he’s quite good. Long term, it’s not so good, but through the injury he has been limited by the responsibilities he could take on in a job.”
