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16 Headlines Hope for a brighter future Thank you to Heather and Bruce Withers for their 10 years of support, and for Heather sharing her story with us and the rest of our Foundation community. A greater understanding of how neurological conditions affect our family members, and why they happen, is a common theme among many of our supporters. Heather and Bruce Withers from the Northland region are no different. Heather, born in Cardiff, South Wales, suffers from vertigo and dyslexia. At the age of 19 she had a severe episode of vertigo, affecting her for about a month and almost hospitalising her. Vertigo runs in Heather’s family, but only within the females. Her mother, sister, first cousin (female) and second cousin (also female) all suffer from the same vertigo symptoms. It is quite baffling to anyone who has tried to understand why. However, vertigo is not the only neurological condition that has touched Heather’s family over the years. Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, dyslexia, and memory loss have all occurred in Heather’s family both on her side of the family and her spouse’s side, Bruce Withers. Heather has lived with vertigo and dyslexia for over 50 years now, but she has never allowed that to stop her from pursuing a career in the medical science field. She just recently retired two years ago after working in several hospitals and private laboratories in New Zealand after receiving her master’s degree in biomedical sciences. She says, “they say one is drawn to charities that you have had some experience in.” And Heather has been fascinated with medical conditions especially those of a neurological nature since her own experience with it at 19. Heather started to support the foundation in 2012 and has been supporting the progress of neurological research for over 7 years. “The chance to support research into neurological disorders that have plagued my life and that of some of my family members was a must to me.” Although she knows she won’t see some of the amazing breakthroughs that are bound to happen in her lifetime, Heather knows that donating to the Neurological Foundation can help with potentially giving answers to questions she never got. Heather is a firm believer that science can persevere and that a greater understanding of neurological conditions will happen. When asked what Heather hopes for the future of the Foundation and the advancement of neurological research, she said this. “I hope that research will soon lead to developments that will help understand the progress of these and other neurological diseases enabling helpful treatments so future generations will have the help [they need] to alleviate their suffering.” And we couldn’t agree more with her. Heather Withers was born in the late 1940’s in Cardiff, South Wales but moved to London, England, when she was 22 months old. Returning to Cardiff later in life, Heather pursued schooling in the Medical Laboratory Sciences. She later married and went traveling with her husband, Bruce, as he was a naval officer. Heather received her master’s degree in biomedical sciences and pursued that career upon immigrating to New Zealand. She has worked in several private laboratories and hospitals and retired two years ago. Bruce and her have two sons.