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Headlines 13 Kellie Bain, the Neurological Foundation Donor Relations Specialist of the South Island, has known the heartache of a loved one living with a neurological condition. At an early age, Kellie’s grandfather was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. “He was the head of our family and a tough rural man – and what a card shark! To watch him forget what game we were playing, let alone how to play, was tricky. He forgot who his wife was, a woman he had been married to for 60 years, and would go wandering.” As many of our supporters know and have experienced, watching a loved one slip away from you can be heart- wrenching especially when you know who they used to be, and they cannot. But that wasn’t Kellie’s only experience with what neurological conditions can do to someone and their loved ones. In 2017, Kellie’s sister-in-law suffered a brain aneurysm at the base of her spinal cord. Kellie and her family were told that she had a very slim chance that when, and if, she woke up from the coma, that she would have a normal life. Kellie didn’t lose hope though and neither did her family. “After coming out of the coma there were physical and neurological hurdles. As well as strong support from family and friends, she had an incredible medical team rooting for her. Today she is walking, talking, driving, and leading a normal life. We are celebrating her wedding next year and I often wonder what course her life would have taken if she had suffered her aneurysm 50, 40, even 30 years ago.” These two experiences, plus many others that happened to friends and distant relatives, rooted Kellie in her resolve to join the Neurological Foundation when the opportunity came up. “I could see what they were already achieving, and I wanted to be part of A South Island girl at heart it. The researchers we fund leave me in awe, and the people that support us and attend our events have personal and inspirational stories that I find touching and keep me motivated to be their champion.” Kellie had been aware of the Foundation for almost seven years prior to the Donor Relations Specialist position becoming available in the South Island. She worked at the University of Otago prior to working for the Foundation and was constantly amazed at the ground- breaking work the Foundation was funding. When asked what she hopes the Neurological Foundation can achieve in the future, she responded with her love of our supporters and the past struggles of those who have come before us to make current research possible. “We stand on the shoulders of past donors, past Council members and past researchers. I would like the Foundation to keep honouring their hard work and hope that the Foundation in the future feels as humbled by the work we are doing now as we do about the past efforts.” Kellie has always worked in jobs that had her building relationships with those around her. Whether it be when she worked for Air New Zealand, or time spent as a PTA and school board member, Kellie has always been a people person. She and her husband have four children, two have left home and the other two are still at their home in Dunedin. Although Kellie was born in Auckland, her family’s roots are from the south and the South Island is where she truly belongs, “I am a passionate South Islander and believe we live in one of the most magical places on earth.” “I witnessed how passionate the researchers were in their work and I've always had huge respect for their passion and drive. They truly wanted to make lives for New Zealanders (and the world) better.”