Since our trip to Fraser Island there's been a fair bit going on. A few trips out of course. I'll tell you a bit about that in the moment, but first I want to take the time to write a little about my beautiful nephew Ocean and the disease that he has. I shamelessly admit that I have pinched most of this text from another blog, but it is for a good cause:
Ocean has Cystic Fibrosis - a genetic condition which affects many organs of the body, but mainly the lungs and the digestive system. In the lungs, a thick, sticky mucus builds up which can cause breathing difficulties and lung damage if not treated. In the digestive system, the condition makes it difficult for sufferers to absorb the adequate nutrients from food, which can result in poor nutrition and growth. The mucus blocks the pancreatic ducts, which means that the body cannot produce the enzymes that are required to digest food. Therefore, vast quantities of pills have to be taken daily to ensure that the correct nutrients are taken in.
In the UK, it is currently one of the most common life-threatening conditions, which affects around 7,500 people. In the States, 1,000 babies a year are born with this condition. In Canada, approximately 3,400 people live with Cystic Fibrosis.
People with Cystic Fibrosis have to undergo a daily ritual of physiotherapy in order to clear out the mucus from the lungs. If it is not done, they run the risk of constant chest infections or lung damage. Physiotherapy is hard and demanding. It involves vigourous clapping on the back and chest in order to clear the airways. Ocean has to go through this twice a day. It cannot be pleasant for him - or for his mum (my sister, Shadow) who administers the physio - yet he is such a happy little boy, you'd find it hard to believe that this is part of his life.
The bad news is that as of yet, there is no cure.
The good news is that the gene responsible for the condition has been found. The next step is to figure out how to repair that faulty gene. Cystic Fibrosis charities work tirelessly to raise money and awareness to try and bring this next step a little bit closer.
Cystic Fibrosis is not a 'high profile' condition like AIDS or cancer, but it is just as devastating. Yet as it is not high profile, charities struggle to raise these funds that are so badly needed. So, here's your chance to help. The Cystic Fibrosis Trust have produced a 2006 calendar. For the bargain price of £6.49, not only will you be helping to fund a very worthy cause, you'll also get to smile every day at the beautiful, happy faces that adorn each month. You can buy it by going to the Barnes' Boys website and ordering it either online or by post. You can even order it from eBay!
Pay particular attention to April (I think) ... it features Ocean!
As I said earlier, Ella and I have been out and about a bit. Twice we've been up to stay for a week with Helen and Jacques in Bundaberg. I did some work for them whilst we were there. In the weeks between I've been writing as many applications for jobs as I can possibly fit in. I finally had an interview yesterday - at Brisbane City Council - which went well, we await the outcome!
I've also been doing some volunteer work for Conseravation Volunteers Australia. This involved a lot of weeding and reed and tree planting along river banks.
We went north to a place called Kenilworth the weekend before last and met Helen, Jacques and Jana to do a walk - our first since Fraser. It turned out to be pretty steep, but was worth the effort with a splendid view from the top of a fire tower half way through.
After the walk Ella, Jana and I went back out towards the coast to camp by a lake in preparation for the next day's activities. The Noosa Hillclimb (old car racing, basically) was great fun - there were some excellent cars there, including lots of my favourite Triumphs, like this V8 TR7:
Once we'd seen enough nutters throwing their cars around corners and up hills we drove up to Bundaberg. I spent a fair amount of last week driving Jacques' tractor around their property, slashing firebreaks and spraying weeds. It was an excellent way to get to see the whole property, and see how much wildlife accumulates when the conditions are right for it. The best moment was probably when a family of four Wallabies (largest at the front and smallest at the back) hopped alongisde me at a distance of about 20 metres.
Our plans now are to head off for a few weeks in the car with the tent and see a bit more of Australia. So it may be a while before I update this site, but when I do, hopefully there will be some pictures from other parts of Oz!
Cheers for now.
