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Whangarei Leader : May 15th 2012
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012 BONUS LED TV With every Panasonic Heat Pump Terms and conditions apply, see in store for details Free, no obligation quotes. Suppliers of all quality brands. 119 - 121 Lower Cameron Street Ph (09) 438 5959 or 0800 12 5959 Servicing Northland since 1978 www.airmaster.co.nz FINANCE OPTIONS Available to suit your BUDGET! 4114991AF TODAY E-EDITION ONLINE Musical talent Tartan art Contest a hit Frugal living Young people wanted with musical talent. More on P3 Entry deadline looms for Art n Tartan Wearable Art Awards. More on P5 More photos from the AB3 surf contest at Ocean Beach in our e-edition (story P7). There are also more of your views on the power rebate. Read the Oily Rag blog for tips on frugal living. This week the Newman's look at water heaters. Go to whangareileader.co.nz. Desperate family Hope for David: Roberta Gardner is staying positive that she can raise $40,000 for life-changing surgery to stop her son David's constant seizures. Photo: DENISE PIPER Go to whangareileader.co.nz to see a brief video of Roberta and David Gardner. By DENISE PIPER YOUNG mum Roberta Gard- ner tries to stay positive despite her son David needing $40,000 for life- changing surgery. Roberta, 22, and husband William, 23, are in a desper- ate bid to raise the funds for their three-and-a-half-year- old so he may have a chance at a normal life. David has an unknown condition that makes him have seizures. He can have them on a daily basis despite medi- cation. They range from small regular ones to tonic- clonic seizures which include blackouts and convulsions. The seizures are thought to have started when David was about three months old, causing damage to his brain which has resulted in developmental delay and low muscle tone. Now David is unable to speak or stand and cannot feed himself without full assistance from his parents. Roberta says David s smile is what really helps her get through. Laughing and hap- piness are his saving grace; he s beautiful. She works hard to help David develop, taking him to Auckland for weekly conduc- tive education therapy. But he is plagued by his seizures and has been in and out of Starship and Whangarei Hospital. Roberta says after much research and discussion with David s neurologist it was decided that vagal nerve stimulation surgery will be the best chance of controlling his seizures. The surgery involves inserting a pacemaker-like device which stimulates the brain through the vagus nerve. The surgery is common overseas, including in Aust- ralia where half of all patients have a significant improvement in seizures. But it is new to New Zea- land and has only been performed on 12 people, Roberta says. Because it is so new the surgery is not funded. It is not normally offered in New Zealand but the specialist surgeons have agreed to make an exception for David as it is highly likely it will change his life, she says. The more severe your seizures are the more help it can give you. The stimulation can take up to a year to work fully and Roberta and William want to have the surgery done before August so David may experience the improvements before he turns 5. But they have no money of their own, with Roberta caring for David fulltime and William only earning enough to make ends meet as an apprentice heavy diesel mechanic. They are looking for any fundraising, donations or sponsorship which will help them out. The Gardners have set up a secure bank account for donations and a Facebook page which Roberta hopes everyone will click the like button on. They have already raised $4800 and they will be sell- ing donated goods at a mon- ster garage sale at 125 Onerahi Rd on May 26.. Roberta says she is keep- ing her head up that the money will be raised and the operation will be a success: You just have to stay posi- tive in a situation like this. Go to facebook.com/ hopefordavid for information.
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