Spinal Network News - December 2017

Suzanne Reiser - Overcomes
Guillain-Barré Syndrome
(GBS) to Pay it Forward
Suzanne Reiser started at the New Zealand Spinal Trust by
chance and has become a valuable member of the team. Reiser,
who is the sub-editor of the Spinal Network News, was asked
to be a Patient & Family Support person in 2011 for a Japanese
patient in the Burwood Spinal Unit who could not speak English.
Reiser, having lived in Japan for 17 years, speaks Japanese fluently
and, is a former patient of the Burwood Spinal Unit herself,
so she was an obvious choice. She never looked back and has
been part of the furniture at the NZST before resigning from
her role this month.
What advice do you have for people who have an SCI and are
getting used to their new life?
“It’s still possible to live a full and rewarding life—you only need
to read the stories in the SNN to know that. I’d just say, stay
strong and never give up; focus on what you can do, not on
what you can’t. Show yourself the same patience, kindness, and
compassion that you would show to a friend who was in your
position. You’ll have good days and bad, and it’s okay to have
times when you feel disheartened and frustrated—give yourself
permission to be sad and grieve—for a little bit... as long as you
pick yourself up and get going again.”
Ian Walker - Remembers
Steve Sumner’s Advice
Ian Walker is a former football referee who had a chance
encounter with one of New Zealand’s all-time sporting greats.
The 54-year-old suffered a spinal cord injury in 2006, when a
car collided with his bicycle. He was in the Burwood Spinal
Unit when former All Whites’ captain, Steve Sumner, dropped
by for a chat. It was a meeting he would never forget. Sumner
passed away in 2017, gone way too soon at the age of 61 after
suffering from prostate cancer.
What is your quality of life like now and, do you remember
what Steve said to you when you met?
“I consider my quality of life very good. Sure, I use a wheelchair
to get around, but there is still so much one can do. My mantra
is “never allow what you cannot do, stop you from doing what
you can do”. Steve commended me on my attitude toward my
injury and rehabilitation and, he told me to focus on what had
got me to the top of refereeing in New Zealand, saying that
what I’d achieved had made a positive difference to football in
Canterbury and NZ; that I had earned the respect of many
in the game and I had their support. He also said, “the game
wasn’t over and there was plenty of time to go”. He said that I
still had plenty to offer others, and not just in football.”
Alan Pullar - Celebrates 50
Years in a Wheelchair
Allan Pullar is a firm believer that you make your own luck in
life. The 71-year-old, who suffered an SCI playing rugby at the
age of 20, celebrates a special milestone in 2017 of 50 years
in a wheelchair. It is no mean feat and he has lived a life less
ordinary. His generation’s old-school values and determination
have helped him live a fulfilling life. He has never made excuses
and takes huge pride in making the most of his life every day.
“I was never frightened to be seen in public in my wheelchair,
and that is something that people in wheelchairs have to get
over. I don’t care where I go. It has never worried me. I have
always wanted to get on with my life and that has always been
my attitude.”
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