What a blast!

Shirley Hazelwood, daughter Sam with
DG Howard before the 'surprise'

On Monday night Jenny and I had the pleasure of being the guests of Stratford Rotary Club who had an evening of fun, laughter and friendship.  On top of that, with over 80 joining together with temperatures at 3 degrees outside!!, we enjoyed top food, a great venue at "Shakee Pear" in the Historic Village, and listened to the stories of Michael Self - a freelance journalist.
Polio badges were offered to those attending and over $50 was raised and given to Shirley.  DGE Bob reminded us that we are 'just that'' close' to ridding polio from our planet.

The big event of the night was the presentation of a Paul Harris Fellow Award to a wonderful lady.  Shirley Hazelwood (QSM) did not suspect anything special other than a great night with Rotarians.  Instead I had the pleasure of placing a medalion over her head and a Paul Harris pin joined her other medals that she was wearing.

She has recently lost a leg - yes, that's right - amputated just above the knee.  But she doesn't waste time crying over lost flesh and bones.  She'll tell you the infamous polio '

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doggedness' is actually wilful stubbornness, and then she'll tell you she gave her leg to science so others might learn from it.

VOLUNTEER DO: Full-time volunteer Shirley Hazelwood (left),
has spent a lifetime helping others and joins in the fun
with Volunteering New Plymouth co-ordinator
Heather Dodunski.

 

In some ways, it's the second time Shirley has lost that leg. The first was in 1948 when she was just 14 months old and learning to walk. She was the 53rd child in two days to be diagnosed with poliomyelitis in South Taranaki. The youngest of four children, she was packed up from her home in Manaia and sent to hospital where she would spend much of her life until the age of fifteen.

 

Shirley did the hospital rounds from Hawera to Wanganui to Wellington, all the way to Rotorua, where she was turned away on the grounds that she wasn't 'bad enough' despite a long series of complications and operations.

 

 

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