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Ella and Donna have an unbreakable bound. OUR LIFE Member Stories Ella’s story: Lucky to have each other My name is Ella Grant, and I live in Otautahi, Christchurch. I’ve always had support people in my life, I have Cerebral Palsy Spastic Quadriplegia. I need help with everything I do. Getting up in the morning, getting dressed, eating, etc. All those everyday things everyone has to do. It’s challenging sometimes having someone assist you with these things, but even more challenging is having someone speak for you. I don’t communicate verbally, and I can’t use a machine or technology to communicate either. Donna Clark has been my teacher aide and now my support worker for 20 years. She started supporting the whānau when I was about four Nikayla’s story: Nikayla will find a way Nikayla Wood lives and breathes by a simple mantra. “Feel the fear and do it anyway.” The Rotorua woman has athetoid Cerebral Palsy which affects the movement of her hands, arms, feet, and legs. She is in a wheelchair full-time. Nikayla says talking, and everyday life, is “hard”. “I’m always fighting with body control, so I can get tired easily.” Nikayla describes herself as outgoing, with a good sense of humour and being very determined. “Never say to me that I can’t do that, because I will find a way.” She is also an adventure- junkie – she’s done a lot of jet boating, ifly-ing, skiing, skydiving and much more. years old and by the time Mum and Dad started thinking about getting me off to school she knew me just about as well as they did, with the added bonus of knowing what their dreams and aspirations were for me, what was acceptable and what was not in the way people talked to me and how they treated me. Donna has had so many roles in my life throughout our journey together; always a friend, always role modelling to my peers how to interact with me in a gentle but firm way. I really appreciated that from the beginning of our schooling because as we moved through to intermediate and high school, my friends that Donna role modeled to in primary school then started role modelling to all the new people we came into contact with. I wish every child who has extra needs could have a Donna walking beside them. Something that I love a lot about her is that she doesn’t let people tell her how “special” she is because she supports me. She tells them that we’re lucky to have each other and I think that’s true. Below: Nikayla is not afraid to give things a go. The full version of this article was published in The Review Sep–Dec 2022 . 16 | ANNUAL IMPACT REPORT 2022-2023