Hello! I live in Hamilton with my husband, two kids, two dogs and two cats on a small lifestyle block. I am a disabled person, I have mild cerebral palsy (stroke at birth) and this means I have hemiplegia (partial paralysis) in my left-hand side. I trip and fall quite a lot and cannot walk super long distances and stairs are my nemesis! I have had many operations to try and help manage pain and movement but I am proud to be a disabled person and a big advocate for disability rights. I also have a brother in law with Fragile X, who I adore. He currently lives in a group home and his exepriences there are one of my main inspirations for wanting to get involved in Te Pou Waiora.
I currently work at the Department of Conservation but for the last two years I worked for the Royal Commission of Inquiry – Abuse in Care. I worked as a principal advisor at the Commission helping to lead and write the final report for the government to ensure it was accurate and accessible. My work also had a particular focus on developing content about disabled people and people experiencing mental distress.
