Different Not Less - Real People, Real Ability Podcast Ep2

Different, Not Less. Real People, Real Ability Podcast
Season 1 | Episode 2

In this episode, host James Carey sits down with Kellie Marsh, Deputy Mayor of Shellharbour City Council and dedicated disability carer, for an honest and insightful conversation about community, advocacy, inclusion, and the realities of caring for others.

Kellie shares her experiences balancing public service with her role as a carer, discussing the challenges, rewards, and lessons learned along the way. Together, James and Kellie explore the importance of creating inclusive communities, supporting people with disabilities, and ensuring every voice is heard.

This episode offers valuable perspectives for carers, families, community leaders, and anyone interested in building a more understanding and accessible society.

🎙️ Guest: Kellie Marsh – Deputy Mayor, Shellharbour City Council & Disability Carer
🎙️ Host: James Carey
🎙️ Co Host: Shane Bitschkat
🎥 Produced by: Iron Monarch Studios

About the Podcast
Different, Not Less. Real People, Real Ability celebrates the achievements, experiences, and stories of people living with disability, along with the families, carers, advocates, and professionals who support them. Through authentic conversations, we aim to educate, inspire, and promote greater understanding throughout our communities.

👍 Like, Comment & Subscribe to support the podcast.

#DifferentNotLess #JamesCarey #KellieMarsh #Shellharbour #DisabilityAwareness #DisabilityAdvocacy #Carers #Inclusion #Accessibility #CommunityLeadership #ShellharbourCouncil #RealPeopleRealAbility #PodcastAustralia

Host: James Carey

Co Host and Producer: Shane Bitschkat

Production Company: Iron Monarch Studios

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:11

Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome back to the Disability Hour. And I'm your host, James, for this afternoon. I'm here with my colleague and friend Shane Bidchkett from Artman Studios.

SPEAKER_05 0:27

How you going, James?

SPEAKER_04 0:28

How are you going, Shane?

SPEAKER_05 0:29

How's you been? How's your week been?

SPEAKER_04 0:31

Pretty good. How's yours?

SPEAKER_05 0:33

Mate, it's been flat out. I mean, being there, done that type of a routine, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_04 0:39

I would just love to thank you all as the public for giving such a warm reception to our first episode, by the way, guys. We're gonna try and make something different here. And now today's very special guest is Kelly Ma, who is the Deputy Lord Mayor of Shell Harbour, and she runs a seal house in Dapto. Good afternoon, Kelly.

SPEAKER_03 1:07

Good afternoon, James. Good afternoon, Shane.

SPEAKER_05 1:10

How you been, Kelly?

SPEAKER_03 1:11

I've had a wonderful day. Actually, a little windy outside, but it's been a lovely weekend.

SPEAKER_05 1:16

Oh, well done. All right. Um, what brought you in today? I know I asked you that question, but um, if you can come in, but what do you what what are we going to talk about?

SPEAKER_03 1:29

Well, I was very excited to see and listen to your first podcast. I think what James is doing is outstanding and yourself to show how people with disabilities um can do these wonderful things and do everything basically. And, you know, to run an enjoyable podcast, James, I take my hat off to you. Congratulations and Shane to put everything you do into this. I think it's wonderful, and I think this podcast is going to continue to grow and show people that the sky's the limit, there's no boundaries.

SPEAKER_05 2:02

Oh, thank you so much for that.

SPEAKER_04 2:04

Thank you so much. You can pay off later.

SPEAKER_05 2:07

Well, before you go on, Kelly, can you just move your mic a little bit closer to you? A bit closer, a bit closer. There we go. You're sitting on top of it. That's all that matters. All right. So let's kick it off. Now, before we go on, Kelly, tell us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_03 2:28

Well, I'm a very proud mum of three, um, grandmother of two, uh, live in Tallinnbar. I moved from Sydney, oh goodness, about 25 years ago, and came to Shell Harbour with my young family. Didn't know anyone and decided that I wanted to be part of the community and do everything I can to um make a beautiful home for my children and uh for the next generation as well.

SPEAKER_05 2:53

So you're a local, true and true.

SPEAKER_03 2:55

I'm well, some of them some people said that if you're not in Shell Harbour until 20 years, you're still a tourist. So I'm out of that tourist part now. I am a local. You're five years out of it. I am.

SPEAKER_05 3:06

There we go. All right, James. What is your first question to Kelly?

SPEAKER_04 3:13

Okay, Kelly. So I would just like to start by saying, what got you into wanting to be a Lord Mayor of Shell Harvard, Deputy Lord Mayor?

SPEAKER_03 3:26

Well, that's a great question. I, for many years, I was a youth worker for St. Vincent dePaul Society, and I used to run a lot of um social skilling programs and workplace programs. Um, there was a lot of gaps for kids that needed a lot of help with a lot of different things. And I used to work with kids with disabilities and kids without disabilities, and I started a number of programs out of the local state high schools, um, and doing a lot of volunteering with the kids as well. So that showed me um, I suppose, a lot of things about our area, and uh it was an opportunity not only for the children but for myself to contribute. So I got to see a lot of things that we had and a lot of things we didn't have in Shohabor. So when um when our I saw there was um applications to Stanford Council, um, it was back in 2010, I thought, look, I'm gonna have a try, I'm gonna have a go at this. I still had kids living at home at the time, and I thought people like me weren't represented. Um there was a lot of older people, I was a lot younger then, this was 16 years ago. There was um a lot of older people on council, and um I was a single mum at the time, and not people with young children either. So I wanted to be something different, and I knew I could work hard for the community, so I had a go.

SPEAKER_04 4:50

The next question I have for you, Kelly, is how proud I am to see that you guys have made Shell Harbor more successful and more accessible over time. So many day programs and so many disability organizations, including the ones I go to, come to Shell Harbor because you make all the roads flat, you make it all accessible around the marina for people like us.

SPEAKER_03 5:20

Look, I'm I'm very, very proud. We only last Tuesday night at Council adopted again our disability inclusion plan. And one of the things that came out in that is that we have more people in Shell Harbor living with a disability. And I think, like what you just said, because more SILS homes supported living homes and providers are coming to Shell Harbor because we have the accessibility and some great places to go, some great places to get support. So that to me is something that I'm extremely proud of. And we also have a disability inclusion committee as well, with a number of community reps on it, which gives people from the community the opportunity through this committee to give their thoughts on everything, whether it's a public toilet or a new road, public space, community building, to give us ideas of how we can best make it more accessible to them. And one of the other things I'm also very proud of is there's a building in Flinders, which is the Kids Wish Building, which is now run by the Disability Trust. Well, we gave them or gifted them that land at a very, very small rent each year for them to build a nice new building on to run day programs. So that's something else in our city that I'm very proud of.

SPEAKER_04 6:43

That is amazing. It's like, for example, that's actually where I rehearse for my rock band. Fantastic. So it's a real accessible and a really good building for people to come to like that. And there are such accessible roads near there to sure you can meet some uh crazy drivers, but uh we won't get into that now. If you live around Chell Harbour, how are you going?

SPEAKER_05 7:17

But otherwise, how we going? Yeah. Alright, here we go. You want to please explain that, James? What are we talking about? How you going?

SPEAKER_04 7:26

Just be safe for the people with disabilities on the case. 100%, please, folks.

SPEAKER_05 7:31

No, I totally agree.

SPEAKER_04 7:33

So we might even do an episode on that. We really should.

SPEAKER_05 7:37

We should. Yes. We can do a video. Let's do a video. Yeah. We'll get we'll get uh Deputy Mayor Councillor Kelly Marsh to come and help us do a community video about disability and awareness within the community.

SPEAKER_03 7:53

Well, I always think that the crazy drivers aren't from Sho Harbour, they're from Wollongong.

SPEAKER_05 7:57

Well, that's understandable. You're a you're you're just a crazy person to me. The demands Kelly he gives me is insane. You know, that's looks like water, it's actually vodka with well, it's actually dune, actually, come to think of it this time around. Moving on from there, can I ask uh Kelly a question, James? Sure. All right, so you you currently work in disability, um, and you clearly go the extra mile. Not only you have you advocated within Shalaba City Council, but you also do it in your personal life, and you've done it for many, many years. Um, full disclosure, I actually known Kelly for many, many years. So what's what do you think your connection is or passion? You know, you was there a family member that required certain um help? Um and who inspired you to do this type of work?

SPEAKER_03 8:56

Well, I think it was from when I was at school. Um, our school was quite rare back in the day where we had a disability support class, which wasn't a common thing in primary and high schools when I was a child. And um I didn't like the segregation. Um, that that did not sit with me. Um, I was a child, of course, that used to question everything. And um I was always just told by the teachers and the principal, well, that's just because that's just how it is. Well, that didn't sit right with me then, and it still doesn't sit right with me now. So I was, I always would would include the children from the support class when I was playing games as a child, or when I was doing things or having a joke with them, and you know, and made lifelong friends. And and I suppose when I was young, that was the first time I really recognized that we have a major issue as a society here because we're all people. We've all got good parts, bad parts, we've all got things that we can work on, and life's an education, life's all about learning, and we need to feed off each other and we need to help each other. So the compassion and and also to I find that people with disabilities and being quite self selfish make me feel good because you know, the hugs you get, the love, the conversations that you have, it's just absolutely beautiful. So people with disabilities inspire me, and I and anything I can do to it to assist and make their life better and more inclusive, that's my role to do that.

SPEAKER_04 10:32

Okay, James. Okay, my next question for you is what is your favorite job out of the two, Lord Mayor of Shell Harbour or Seal Houseworker?

SPEAKER_03 10:46

Oh, do you know what? I can't I have to give a 50-50 answer on that because they're both so different, but yet they overlap as well. So I I absolutely love helping people, and especially it's not for me sometimes on council, the big wins that I have when we build millions of dollars worth of buildings, sometimes it's helping the little person and just make their day better, or just reaching out and caring and loving and giving of myself. So we put a lot of big things in place at council, which can help a lot of people, but sometimes it's the little things that you do that help people. So that's sort of one role, and but then the other role I do being a disability support worker, it's a different type of care. It's more one-on-one. Where I'm doing it for 90,000 people in Shell Harbour, I'm doing it one-on-one with a with a group of people. And that's more home living, day-to-day living, basics that we're looking after for them. And I still get a lot of love. I get a lot of um a lot out of it. So I find even though my two jobs are totally different, I learn a lot from the people that I work with to see things from their eyes, and even taking them out in a in wheelchairs saying, Oh gosh, we can do better with accessibility. So I'm really blessed where I've seen I get the benefits from both jobs to help with each other.

SPEAKER_05 12:22

Well, I was about to say that. I think both are win-win situations, both help each other. So, James, just uh to simplify the answer, one helps the other. So she's working in disabilities. Guess what? She works on council, so she has a first hand experience of exactly what that the people need. So she will go back and go, you know what? I totally get this. I can this needs to change. Oh, we can implement this, this. So, to be perfectly honest, there were probably a match made in heaven because you're on the front line, you're on the cold face. So, no, it's great.

SPEAKER_04 13:00

That's exactly there should be more people who understand more things about people like us.

SPEAKER_03 13:07

That's right. And and I think sometimes for some people, which I've certainly learned um through people I'm working with, is sometimes if people haven't been around people with disabilities, they don't want to say the wrong thing, they don't know how to act. Well, my advice is just be yourself, that's all you need to do.

SPEAKER_04 13:26

And try. Always try with people with disabilities. Sure, you may meet some along the way with no filter, but if you do, just try and try and try for at least five, two weeks and see how you go.

SPEAKER_05 13:46

And talking about your home um work where you where you were sorry, it's the wrong I'm trying to I can't get it out of my head. The shared living home. So I can only imagine the experiences that you've had to have dealt with. Now, if we if someone came up to you and said, How do I get into this career? I really have a passion for it. I've I've care taken care of my mum, dad, whoever. What do you need to do and what qualifications do you need to have to get into this type of industry?

SPEAKER_03 14:22

Well, that's a great question. I think before you have any bits of paper or qualifications, you need to have a big heart. You need to have a big heart, you need to be patient, you need to be kind, you need to be open-minded and patient. And if you've got all those qualities, I think that's a great place to start. So, of course, you need your basic first aid, your police check, your NDIS modules you need to complete. Some organizations um require you to have a certificate in aged care or disability. Some don't. And I've seen workers who some have those certificates and some that don't. And quite frankly, it doesn't make a better support worker for the people that don't have the certificate because there is a lot of learning on the job. The face-to-face learning on the job from people with disabilities, what they teach us, is just invaluable. So there is a lot of constant training that you're doing that the providers have to do under the NDIS. So it is it is for me as well a lifetime of learning as well.

SPEAKER_05 15:30

Where I'll rephrase this question again. What personal characteristics would you need to be a carer? I understand you can have all the qualifications under the sun, but unless you're empathetic and understanding and patient, what else can someone do? Because yeah, I think there's a lot of people that want to get in the industry, but I don't necessarily think they've got the uh patience.

SPEAKER_03 15:59

No, and look, not everybody is suited to any job or any industry. And I think you need to have an open mind and you need to have an open heart, and you need to be willing to accept differences in people because their qualities it's not a it's no not a problem. It's it's their qualities, and you know, be open to learning, be open to change, and be open to make the difference and be a role model. Okay, James, you got a question?

SPEAKER_04 16:32

My next question is I was doing some research on you.

SPEAKER_05 16:37

Uh-oh. And here we go.

SPEAKER_04 16:41

I read that you were up against Shane over here for the Parliament job for the council job of Shell Harbour. My my question to you is how did you win?

SPEAKER_03 16:58

Well, Shane actually helped me win. We we were on the same ticket together. So with with Ken.

SPEAKER_05 17:05

I was gonna say, would you hiding something? What's going on?

SPEAKER_03 17:08

No, no, not at all. Um look, I was very, very fortunate. As a politician, as much as many politicians say otherwise, you can't do things on your own. You need good people around you, you need great supporters, you need great volunteers, and especially at a local government level with council, if you're going to have a ticket, you can't run by yourself. So you need someone that aligns with your values, aligns with your work ethic to stand with you. And I was very, very lucky that Shane did with me.

SPEAKER_04 17:43

Do you agree with that, Shane, or do you think you should have got the job?

SPEAKER_03 17:48

Oh, we should have definitely got the job.

SPEAKER_05 17:50

I should have got the job. That's another podcast. No, so what happens is, mate, when you go into politics, either you can run by yourself on a ticket by yourself, or you can have a running mate. Yep. And what happens was I went onto Kelly's team and Kelly was number one on the ticket because she's had more experience and knew what was just going on, then I was number two. But when you go into any election, mate, you you try and get both people in, and you you give the same effort in if it's one, three, or five people on the ticket, you you try and get everybody in because you trust these people to follow your morals and and judgment, so it just works out. Um, sometimes that the first person on the ticket gets in, unfortunately, the second one doesn't, but it happens, you know. There's always the next time we'll see what happens. But I've got grand plans, and that's the reason why we love community, and that's the reason why we're doing this type of podcast, mate, because we're in amongst it. We've got to have a bit of reality on not only on our sh on our streets.

SPEAKER_04 19:01

Then we've got to show it right at the Yellow Wara.

SPEAKER_05 19:04

100%. A hundred percent. Okay. Now, next question.

SPEAKER_04 19:09

My next question for you is I actually had to learn how to vote only last year, and I've got to admit it, it was quite overwhelming and quite vulnerable, especially as someone who doesn't read and just had to tick names off a list. Personally, you weren't in my area, so no, you couldn't vote for me. No.

SPEAKER_05 19:35

And me, just letting you know, mate.

SPEAKER_04 19:37

Yeah, I would have voted for you. Sorry, Kelly. I would have voted for Shane.

SPEAKER_05 19:42

No, you vote for one, you vote for all. Oh my goodness. One on the top of the line.

SPEAKER_03 19:46

This podcast is ending now. No, the good thing about voting, mate, I don't I don't ever get upset if someone doesn't vote for me because you feel you go in there and you do what you feel's right. And that's okay. That's okay.

SPEAKER_05 20:03

So moving forward with um the share home, um, you've been there um at this particular establishment uh for many, many years. If I was a parent of a client, um what questions would I shall ask you before entrusting my child with you guys? What's what's the red flags, the good flags, what questions would you ask as a parent to a home?

SPEAKER_03 20:37

Well, whether it's a um and I'll just speak generally, not about my organization, but just generally um about shared living accommodation. Um, most of the time it is for adults. And I I'd be asking a lot of questions. So I'd sort of start with things like talking about maintenance, maintenance of the home, um, the infrastructure that's in place in the home. What's their staffing levels? Do they have high turnover of staff? What experience do the staff have? Basic questions to start with. What sort of outings do they take community members on? What's their transport? Do they have a van? Do they have a bus? Do they have a car? Do they have anything at all? Um, what are their policies and procedures of the organization? Because the policies underpin an organization. So I'd want to read all of them from back to front. So once I got through that initial stage, I'd then want to go to the property and have a look. Because we can all look on websites and see beautiful looking rooms with doled up paint and lights and ornaments, and it all looks lovely. But what I think's important is to go to these homes when the other residents are there as well. Because Shane, you and I might be great mates, but we probably couldn't live together.

SPEAKER_05 21:56

No.

SPEAKER_03 21:56

No, because we're totally different, and that's okay. You know, my needs are a lot different to what your needs are. So you know, even all of it is we have best friends, but we couldn't live with them because we just live different lifestyles. And I think that is such a big thing to find a house that suits you and your lifestyle. Now, if you're a very quiet person and you're an introverted person, you probably wouldn't want to be in a house with four or five other people that are very loud, very noisy, and very boisterous. You might get lost in that home. So these are the things that as a, whether it's a parent or or a carer, would be looking out for to try and get the right fit. So I would suggest having a couple of visits to the group home before you made any decisions to make sure that you were comfortable there. Is the type of environment you want and go at different times of the day. Now you might want to go for breakfast one time, pop in mid-morning or go for evening. And then then there's other questions you can ask. Well, what sort of food do you provide? Is it all fresh meals? Do I have the opportunity to cook? Can someone assist me cooking? All of these questions I think are really about make sure that you're maintaining a really good lifestyle and still have opportunities and your voice inside that home as well.

SPEAKER_05 23:19

So when a parent goes in or a relative or a caretaker of there should have they should have a list, literally a list and do a tick box and write a report on it. So you can go back and show that report with other family members and go pros, cons, this is this, this is this, this is this. And I don't think that type of information's out there, or no, the fact that no one wants to talk about it. Um, but I would be doing that if there was any of my relatives. I'd be, you know, it's like getting, you know, you're not going to go to the first hotel, you're going to go A, B, C, D, and you're going to pick which one.

SPEAKER_03 23:56

That's right. We're just talking to James before the podcast, he was telling me how, you know, he loves doing his band. Well, that would be something I'd ask. Well, you know, my loved one has an interest in, it might be golfing, it could be doing rock music, it could be a thousand other things, swimming.

SPEAKER_06 24:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:12

Is there opportunities? And also, too, where is the house located? So, you know, if my loved one was interested, let's just say in going golfing a couple of times a week, is the golf course an hour or two hours away? How are they going to get there? You know, is it how much time of a carer will that take up? So I'd be looking at the locality as well of how close it is to the shops. If they like to get out and walk, or if they're in a wheelchair, what are the footpaths and things like around the premises? Is you know, can can they, you know, walk to the shops with a carer or go in a wheelchair to the shops with carers? Do they always need public transport? Is there public transport options there? So these are, as you said, all the things. And I do think that that would be a good idea to get a tick box thing of pros and cons with each house. And and my advice would be to not only look at one, not don't just look at one house, look at a few options.

SPEAKER_05 25:07

Okay. Um, we're about to go for a break. Do you want to ask one simple question for Kelly before we hit the break?

SPEAKER_04 25:14

One more question I have for you is is when I see disability groups together and like at my disability organization, what is called Bungie, we provide once a month. We do normally we do a high T for the residents of the nursing home or care. And we bring the clients in and we cater for them. And this one time we had Tanya Brown join us, and sure, I was put on Tanya's table because I requested to be, but also why?

SPEAKER_05 26:00

Like you you you wanted questions answered. You were going to grill a like, you know, remember Darren Hinch? Actually, no, you're too young for that.

SPEAKER_03 26:06

She's a lovely lady, the Lord said. She's a lovely lady.

SPEAKER_04 26:10

Sure, I may have uh had half of a sausage roll by the end of that lunch, but that's for another time if you're listening. Hello, Tanya. And if people say about the sausage roll.

SPEAKER_05 26:25

What are we dying? What you're starving? You're that hungry.

SPEAKER_04 26:28

Yeah, at that point I was starving.

SPEAKER_05 26:30

Was the food okay though?

SPEAKER_04 26:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 26:32

Was alright? Because I catered. You catered. Yeah. Oh.

SPEAKER_03 26:37

Well, when I see Tanya Brown, the Lord Mayor, in a couple of weeks at a meeting, I'm gonna tell her that I met the young man who ate her sausage roll.

SPEAKER_05 26:47

There we go. Alright.

SPEAKER_04 26:50

Let's Okay, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to a 20-minute break now. We'll be back in 20 minutes. Please hold tight. And then we'll be back for another 10-15 minutes of our interview with Kelly Marsh on the Disability Hour.

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SPEAKER_04 31:12

Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome back to the disability hour with Shane and James. And now, in the first half of today's episode, we interviewed Kelly Marsh into what is she Deputy Mayor of Shell Harbour Council and Deputy Mayor of Shell Harbour Council, Sill House Owner and Support Worker. Please welcome back, Kelly Marsh.

SPEAKER_05 31:42

Thank you. All right, let's kick it off because we've got a lot to talk about. We've had a bit of a team discussion production meeting while we're in uh the break. And we we've got a couple of questions, topics we're gonna have a discussion about. But let's recap the first half, shall we? So we started off of introducing Kelly to the show. Yep. Um you asked some very hard-hitting questions, like in the current affair reporter, as one does, which is crazy.

SPEAKER_04 32:11

Current affair, if you're looking for a new presenter, please contact this number. This number will be in touch within the next 48 hours.

SPEAKER_05 32:21

Yep, and James will get 25% and I get 75%. Yeah, I've got a funny feeling. I'll help you negotiate that, Jake. No, I appreciate Oh, great. Now you're getting the big guns in against me. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_04 32:37

So we discussed where Kelly works. We discussed Do you have any contact with a current affair? Mate, we will make contacts for you.

SPEAKER_05 32:47

So we discussed Kelly's work. We discussed uh Kelly as a deputy mayor as well, and the great work Shallaba City Council's under uh doing underway with uh people with disabilities moving forward. Um we discussed um what prerequisites you need to have to start a career off as being a carer, and what happens inside a share home that um parents need to ask when they bring their child. Exactly right. So we recap now, James. Where are we going from now, mate?

SPEAKER_04 33:25

So Kelly, welcome to a current affair on the disability.

SPEAKER_05 33:37

Oh, 60 minutes would be great, wouldn't it?

SPEAKER_04 33:40

And now this next subject of this interview is about an injury you had earlier this year. Can you tell us your story?

SPEAKER_03 33:49

And then I've got a story after you. I can tell you my story. Thanks for asking. So I was having a a lovely morning, um, doing some housework and things, and um I I have suffered migraines for many, many years and headaches, but um, I was on the phone to actually the mayor of Shell Harbour, Chris Homer, and I got this uh instant headache, which was like someone was smashing my head with sledgehammers. And I said to him on the phone, I said because I was following towels, and I said to him, mate, I've got this instant headache. My I've got an instant migraine, my head's so bad, and I walked into the bathroom to go and splash water on me. And all I remember him saying is, Kelly, are you okay? What's the matter? You've got this incident headache. I can't remember anything else. And then next thing I woke up, I was on the floor of my bathroom, and my girlfriend, um, who lives a few streets away, Linda, who's a friend of Shane and mine, I could hear her voice, and they said to me that I'd had a stroke I couldn't see properly, which I found out was a thing called Tencent syndrome where I had bleeding behind my eye. And they were trying to get um an air ambulance for me. Um I know it was pretty full on. And me being a stubborn female said, I'm okay, just pop me on the lounge, I'll be okay. But I wasn't okay. My son had um Chris the mayor had had rang my son because he didn't know where I was, and and said to my son, Where's your mum? He said, I think she's upstairs. He said, Something's not right. And my poor son came up and found me. I was on the floor, possibly had seizures. Um, I was rolling, my eyes were rolling back in my head. I had foam coming out of my mouth and I couldn't talk.

SPEAKER_04 35:39

So Well, how long couldn't you talk?

SPEAKER_03 35:42

Oh, for quite a while, apparently. And my son had to roll me on my side. He called Triple O, and we had the absolutely wonderful paramedics come. He contacted Shane as well, and Shane came over to support me and to support my son, and they ended up getting me off to hospital. I went off to Wollongong Hospital and they did an MRI scan only to find out that I also had two ruptured brain aneurysms. So two parts of my brain had just gone. And I was a very, very lucky girl that I actually even made it to the hospital. So then they had to rush me quickly up to Prince of Wales Hospital, and I ended up having um a surgery on my brain, my first surgery. And then I think it was about 24 hours after that, um, things weren't going well again, and I had to have a second surgery. But I am very, very, very, very lucky that there were two wonderful neurosurgeons and the staff and the team at Prince of Wales, they looked after me. My friends, my family loved and looked after me. I had a really positive mindset. And after quite a bit of time in critical care and intensive care, and then in the general ward, I was back home learning how to do things that I didn't think I'd ever have to learn to do again. So my speech was a little bit different. Um, I found it hard to think about things at times. Um, I had to retrain my brain, retrain my speech. Um, light was a problem. Me going, I couldn't really go out in the community because lights were too bright, the sun was too bright, I couldn't handle a lot of noise, James. So if the radio was on, I couldn't have a conversation, say with you, I could just do one thing at a time. So I had quite a good recovery, but the great thing that came from it, or a few good things that came from it was the community and and my friends and family were just so good to me. And they were so encouraging, and it gave me something to work towards. So I just kept setting little goals for myself every day, and um, and here I am, and I've been back at council for quite a while and back at work and driving again, and um I did have some good things come out of it, especially having to have care that people care for me. It made me see things in different in a different way. So I think I can be a better disability support worker now.

SPEAKER_04 38:09

How are you feeling now after all that happening to you?

SPEAKER_03 38:15

Oh, look, sometimes I get a little bit scared, to be honest, because it was they call it a thunderclap headache. So from when it happened, I had 60 seconds until bang, I was out. So I do worry it could happen again, but I'm not going to live my life worrying about things that I can't control. So that's something we should all live by. Absolutely, because I think you can spend your whole life and time worrying about things or you can just get out there and have a go. So I've just tried to be as positive as I can and surround myself with good people and good friends, and just know at times when I do get a little bit tired, instead of pushing myself, I will stop and I will have a little rest.

SPEAKER_04 39:01

So now to my story. So I was walking in another country, that's all I'm gonna say, and the flattest path in the world, I was walking to a train station, and my knee collapsed, I collapsed, and I smashed my kneecap, and I couldn't communicate. I screamed at the top of my lungs. It was like a movie. Everybody from this community came out of their houses to spoke different languages. I'm getting offered water, chairs, everything. But then I was rushed to a hospital. They told me after I had had my casket put on, they had told me you smashed your kneecap, you're gonna be okay though. And then when I finally got up again, my beautiful parents had to advocate for me and they had to say, no, he can't use crutches, he doesn't know how to. So I had to take a wheelchair. Maybe um there's some more evidence about that within episodes to come. If you would like an episode about this, please let me know. And then I had to have six months, five months of rehabilitation, rehab, and I'm a musical theatre performer, so it was really hard because I thought my career's done and I'm gonna die. That's all I'm saying for today, folks. I'm not trying to light I'm not trying to unlight the mood of this episode, but that's all I'm gonna say. Can I ask you a question, James?

SPEAKER_03 41:09

How did it feel to have people like and have your mum and dad there to support you?

SPEAKER_04 41:17

Look, at the time I got a bit grumpy, but it was just because of the pain mats. And it was all the stuff I had to be on, and it was my new way of living, but I'm very appreciative to everyone around me who helped me and who sort of had to learn how to live with me in a different context to ever had to live with me. And I have a syndrome called Kabuki syndrome, and I had to have a knee construction when I got home to Australia, and my mum said to me she was looking on a Facebook root chat, and she read low bone density with kabuki syndrome is very regular and it's pretty much guaranteed that something's gonna happen with your bones in the future.

SPEAKER_03 42:14

Well, I think you've handled it really well, and I think for both of us it's about adjusting to the new normal and knowing at times to settle down, to calm down, and just take things in our stride. And and I got grumpy sometimes too, but I think sometimes getting grumpy is part of the healing too.

SPEAKER_04 42:33

Yeah. That was definitely with me too.

SPEAKER_03 42:39

What about you, Shane? Oh, he's grumpy all the time, huh?

SPEAKER_05 42:42

I'm grumpy all the time. What are you talking about? I think the only main the the major accident I had was when um I'm gonna get corrected once my mum hears this. I think I was about four or five, and we were living in a suburb called Manginton near Frictroy, there, and we lived next to the school, and I got a new BMX bike, and my dad and I decided to go for a ride. We call it the top shop, it's up at the top of the hill, and you you we rode up the top, rode across and went down the other side. Now that the other side is pretty steep, and um I was halfway down, my brakes didn't work, uh, fell off my bike, flew 20 metres down the road into the gutter and ended up in hospital for a couple of weeks with a fractured skull from the top of my nose right up to the back, um, which was absolutely horrendous. Um, my mum was a nurse uh back then and um they allowed her to take me home so I could be monitored, and it was only until what it was about th three or six months ago uh when had a I had headaches. We have a family history of migraines. And there was a time there that I'll have a migraine last for four days and then I'll have a day off. It'll literally go and then I'll come back with vengeance. I heard that for three weeks straight. And I went, Oh, I better go and get an MRI. Um, they didn't find anything untowards associated with the headache, well, it was debatable, but they found a um a white, large white mass on one side of my brain, and um I didn't know about it. I got contacted to come into um the the GP and they said, Oh, why didn't you tell us about this critical incident that you had? I said, What are you talking about? Well, you had major brain trauma. I'm going, Oh, I fell off my bike. I can't remember it back then. They go, Well, and they brought up this scan and they said, Oh, see that white mass there? And I go, Yeah, goes, Well, that's brain damage. And I'm just going, Oh. Yeah. And you don't think about it, and you just go, what?

unknown 45:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 45:06

Anyway, so that answers a lot of questions.

SPEAKER_03 45:09

Um you've been living with an acquired brain injury.

SPEAKER_05 45:12

Well, I didn't ever know. And that's it makes sense now. Everything makes sense. Like, I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed. It takes me a bit of a I do pretty all right. It's called readjusting the way you think, but that's right. Um, it really answers a lot. But you know, you don't realize it until someone tells you, and you just go, all right. So, yeah, that's where I am at the moment.

SPEAKER_03 45:39

Isn't it true that I think that we've all got a story um in our lives? And that's the thing. I think we all need to be mindful of what other people are going through because we don't we just don't know, do we? We just don't know.

SPEAKER_05 45:51

Well, people don't wear it like a tattoo and they don't wear it like a t-shirt. You just don't know until you know you ask particular questions, and um that's why you reason why, you know, if if someone seems aggressive or someone seems a bit um slow on the uptake, or it doesn't matter what it is, you don't know the background. You don't. So you can't judge someone until well, you can't judge anybody else at all, regardless.

SPEAKER_04 46:17

You shouldn't be judging people in the first place. No, that's right.

SPEAKER_05 46:21

Unfortunately, we live in a world that there's you know, people aren't like that. Everybody's on social media, and everybody's you know, not everybody, but like there's a large majority of people that are very egotistical and it's all image, it's all about me, me, me, me, me. But the brain is so complex, isn't it? Oh, it's so complex. All right, Kelly, you got any other questions?

SPEAKER_03 46:43

Well, I supp I yes, I might put you two under the spotlight, actually.

SPEAKER_05 46:47

So you started this, I'm just letting you know, Jay.

SPEAKER_03 46:50

Why? Why do you two like working together? Why do you like working with Shane James?

SPEAKER_04 46:56

We did a musical together about two months ago. Two months ago now, two months in nine days, and we hit it off straight away, and we formed quite a close connection. And initially, when I first came in for this job, I didn't know I was gonna be hosting my own show. I thought I was coming in for a casual interview, and he said, No, no, no, this is your show, you're the host, and I said, Okay, and here we are, second episode in, and it's going swimmingly. Good on you, mate.

SPEAKER_05 47:40

We thought it as we said in the first episode, there comes a point where you know everybody's done everything, and then you look at um guys like James, he's an awesome bloke. Absolutely, but there's I I've been speaking a lot to James at the theatre, and oh, we should do this, we could do this, you know. How would you do that? And you know, even James said he never is given an opportunity, and I know it's very rare, and it's I said, Well, here we go, let's start something, let's kick something off.

SPEAKER_03 48:14

Let's see where we can take this. That's right. You gotta be in it to win it. That's right, you have to have a go, and I think with anything, if you can just have fun along the way, I think that's you know, that's worth it.

SPEAKER_05 48:25

That's exactly right.

SPEAKER_04 48:26

Okay, Kelly, this is the last part of our interview. Do you have any questions for me?

SPEAKER_03 48:33

Do I have any questions for you? What do you think as a leader, so as deputy mayor, is there anything that you think that I can do to help people with disabilities that I'm I may not be doing now?

SPEAKER_05 48:48

Uh that is an awesome question.

SPEAKER_04 48:50

So maybe make a few towns in the Illawarra more accessible, yep. And maybe try and do more identity checks on carers before they come in to companies. Yep. And maybe check out their history of work to make sure they can do the job. And maybe really just said they're a decent person.

SPEAKER_03 49:19

I agree. And and with with that, that's all sort of regulated under the state government, which is the next level of government. But I totally agree with you. They look at these companies need to have better background checks. And and I think too, not just rely on the bits of paper, but get to know the actual people as well and see, you know, see what their qualities are like, not just where they've worked and what they've done and and make sure they're good people. That's actually a really, really good answer, mate. And I will talk to people about that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 49:49

Okay, thank you so much, folks. That's us for the disability hour. See you. Yeah, are we off?

SPEAKER_03 49:59

Okay. I can handle a couple more questions if you want. This is what happens to me all the time. I'm in PA. No, we've got to do a few more questions. I know who wears the pants in this relationship. Who's the boss? Yeah. It's because he's got the big chances, so you've always got questions first. Oh, it's up to you, mate. Okay, you can hit me with any question you'd like.

SPEAKER_04 50:24

Do you think you're a good Lord Marchelle Harbour?

SPEAKER_03 50:28

Do you know what? I do. I really do. And you know why I think so? Kicks because I work so hard, I try my best, I really love my community, and I am still as passionate about what I do now from the first day I started, nearly 16 years ago.

unknown 50:49

Oh.

SPEAKER_04 50:50

Would you agree with that, Shane, as a member of her uh society?

SPEAKER_05 50:56

Society, is it? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 50:57

Let's call it that.

unknown 50:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 51:00

No, it is. Yeah, no, I I agree. Um when you get into politics, regardless on if it's local, state, or federal, um, it's a hard gig. It's very, very hard. And um, just like people advocating to get things done, um, council themselves before anything is tabled, they have to advocate. So they're doing what everybody does as a collective. When you go to a councilor, they're the ones who then take it up, and they get the same scrutiny or even more from others who don't follow that the reasoning behind um what's being tabled. So no, I agree 110%, James. Um you really gotta be a special person to be able to go into council or any other um um politics in general. Um, but you know, if we don't have these people here that fight, um, especially for disability at the moment, you're not gonna get anything. And you gotta have those hard talks and you've got to line yourself up with people who can do those hard talks for you. And yeah, no, I 100% agree.

SPEAKER_03 52:12

And like all jobs, it's not every job has its really good points and its really bad points. And it's not easy sometimes um being in politics because it doesn't matter what you do, you're always going to have so many people happy with the decision and so many people not happy. So you're trying to find that balance. And and now social media is such a big thing, you get a lot of criticism, and a lot of times you'll get criticism about things that aren't even council related, but you've you've got to have broad shoulders to wear that as well.

SPEAKER_04 52:47

Do you believe we've got any more questions for Miss Mark, Mr.

SPEAKER_05 52:51

Bitchett? Um no, I don't have any questions at the moment, but we can you know what? I think we need to do a part two, but with a difference. Let's talk, let's have a meeting. Let's I'll organise it for you because obviously I'm your PA over drinks. Um, I'll organise and see if I can get Kelly to come back in, but this time with let's go the mayor. Tanya. No Chris Homer for Shall Homer.

SPEAKER_03 53:22

My Mayor, Chris Homer, he is fab, you will love Chris. Yeah, he's actually he's actually not only the Lord Mayor, or our mayor, he's a surfy dude too. He's got a pretty good story to tell, and he helped save my life when I was six. So he's got a great story to tell.

SPEAKER_04 53:37

So, ladies and gentlemen, that's us for this week.

SPEAKER_05 53:40

Okay, we're having it up now. Sweet.

SPEAKER_04 53:42

And ladies and ladies and gentlemen, if you would like to get in touch for another episode, please do with I'm Bucks, I'm Monarch Studios at dot com.au. We will be recording a second episode this week with my dear friend Jacob Carroll, who lives with cerebral palsy. Thank you very much, Kelly, and thank you for sitting in our hot seat today.

SPEAKER_05 54:09

All right, I've got my fingers ready on the pulse of the buttons. Now, which button do I press?

SPEAKER_04 54:15

Do I press everyone tickle your fancy?

SPEAKER_05 54:19

You sure?

SPEAKER_04 54:19

Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_05 54:21

You know what? I'm gonna mute you first. Oh, you can't hear you. Oh, what was that, James? What's that? See? Buttons can do everything. All right, guys, thanks once again for joining us this week. Um, it's been a great interview, and we we've getting quality interviews um with people that can make a difference and have made a difference um in this world of disability, not only um the last two interviews and the obviously with Kelly, um, in the future, there's we have an array of spectacular people that are going to be coming in um and making sure we understand as a community and as a whole what we need to do to ensure that uh people like James and even me can make a difference and how can we keep on moving forward and and pretty much where's life at the moment?

SPEAKER_04 55:13

Thank you very much, folks, and see you next time.

SPEAKER_05 55:17

Catch you later, guys. Bye bye.