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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-05-11, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 1988. Lucky 13th marks anniversary of operation W ■ Li' ' Si c > chc? m of 0/ 1 Celebrating the first anniversary of major surgery to control her epileptic seizures, Kathy Bromley shows some of the display material she uses in speaking of her experiences to local organizations and individuals. “If I can help even one person, it will all be worth it,” she says. Sacrifice, Packer tells pro-lifers Don’t ever tell Kathy Bromley that Friday the 13th means bad luck. The number has a world of meaning to the young Blyth woman, but all of it is so good that she goes around looking for other connections to the magic number, and nothing will ever convince her to do otherwise. Friday, May 13, marks the first anniversary of her major surgery at London’s University Hospital in which some of the best surgeons in Canada cut away the part of her brain that had been responsible for causing the epileptic seizures which had ruled every aspect of her life from the time she was 11 years old. The day al so marks the time when her doctor promised her that she could gradually withdraw from the medication she has had to use all of her adult life to control the seizures. If she didn’t have a seizure within one year of surgery, the doctors said that she could likely be considered 100 per cent free of the disorder that had forced her to live a quiet, shy and withdrawn life for 28 years, fearful and embarrassed that a new attack would occur in public at any moment. Now, at the age of 31, Mrs. Bromley feels her whole life is ahead of her, at the end of one of the most important years ofherlife. (31, she notes, is just 13 backwards.) Friday, November 13, 1987 also marked the six-month anniversary of her epic surgery, and yesterday (May 10) marked the 13th wedding anniversary of Kathy and her husband, Bev, and the couple is planning to mark the occasion in a big way. On Friday, they will leave for a second honeymoon in Niagara Falls, where Bev will take his wife to all the places to see all the sights they enjoyed on their first honey­ moon - sights and places Kathy now has absolutely no memory of, since the portion of the brain her surgeons removed was the portion which controls part of her memory. Some memories are gone forever, but the Bromleys say it’snot too late to start building a whole new set to last them all the rest of their lives. On their actual wedding anni­ versary, Kathy said, she and her husband will toast each other using the crystal wine glasses presented to her by the Auburn Women’s Institute on the occasion of her first engagement to speak about her surgery last June. The glasses have never been used,she said- they were saving them just for this very special occasion. Life has changed incredibly for the motheroftwo sons since the six-hour operation that was to mark the first day of the rest of her life, and she can’t believe how full and good that life is. ‘ * I’m flying so high these days that Bev is always threatening to clip my wings, ’ ’ she said. “He had never known me except as a semi-invalid.” She was home seven days after her surgery, and out visiting friends nine days after and pining because she couldn’t get back to work as the caretaker at Blyth’s Queen Street Villa senior citizens’ apartmentfortwomonths. Shewas ready to start back earlier, she admits, but didn’t think it would ‘‘look good” to Town and Country Homemaker Jetta Button of Blyth, who had come in to her home to help her in the first few weeks, despite the fact that Kathy says she always felt guilty about having somebody else do her work. ‘‘I’d rather we’d just sit and visit,” she said. From that time on Kathy has never looked back, having got involved in so many people-orient­ ed things that she has no time to worry about her health. As well as caretaking Queen Street Villa, Kathy runs a full recreation program for the residents, and has set up an “Adopt-a-Grandparenf ’• program between “her” seniors and Blyth Public School children in Grades 2-3, a program which has provided a lot of love on both sides. In addition, she donates her time as a parent volunteer in other activiites at the school, and has gone back to being a very active member of the Blyth Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary, doing every­ thing from helping with the organization’s catering to march­ ing in their parades. But most important of all, Kathy has been going out to speak of her experiences to local organizations, and has also built up a network of contacts with peoplefrom as far away as Manitoba, people who are contemplating the new epileptic surgery for themselves, or for a loved one. ‘‘I’m willing to go out and talk to anyone who wants me to,’’ she says. “If I can help even one person toa new life, it will all be worth it.” Wingham meeting looks at recreation Recreation in the Wingham area, including northern portions of Morris, East Wawanosh and West Wawanosh will come under scrutiny when the first meeting regarding the new Wingham area Recreation Master Plan is held May 26 at the Wingham Armour­ ies. The Master Plan project is to guide the development of activi­ ties. programs, facilities and parks for the next five years. It will recommend what new facilities are required, which existing facilities should be upgraded or improved, which leisure activities should be provided in the future, what new parks should be developed and how to improve or expand existing parks as well as determining how the municipality can help commun­ ity recreational groups and resi­ dents increase their enjoyment of leisure and the quality of life in the community. Serious pro-life supporters must be ready io make sacrifices in their personal lives, Metro Toronto police officer David Packer told the annual meeting of the Wingham and Area Voice for Life. Mr. Packer gained notoriety last year when he refused to guard Dr. Henry Morgentaler’s Toronto abortion clinic as a matter of conscience. He currently is on desk duty waiting for an appeal to be reinstated in his old street job. While Mr. Packer said he has no illusions that he will win his appeal to get his job back, he believes he has become a far better person for standing up for what he believes is right. Mr. Packer said his life changed quite dramatically and unexpect­ edly one year ago when he was assigned duty guarding the Mor­ gentaler clinic. “I hadto decide quite suddenly to do what I was told or stand up for what I knew was right.” As a supporter of the pro-life cause, he could not condone what he calls “the massive slaugther of innocent people” at the abortion clinic. Therefore, he asked for some other detail. As Mr. Packer suspected, the staff sergeant and superintendent ordered him to do the clinic detail. He refused as a matter of conscience, realizing his refusal was a serious offence under the Police Act. He was given the choice of resigning from the force or being fired. He refused to resign and his firing currently is under appeal, although he said, “I have no expectation of something good coming from it.” Until recently, the Morgentaler clinic was guarded 24 hours a day. To Mr. Packer that means, “A lot of powerful people have to be on this guy’s side.” He also said it is unprecedented to fire a police officer who had been on the job for 10 years and had not done anything wrong until he disobeyed an order to guard the clinic. ‘‘Thishashita sensitive nerve.” A new abortion law currently is being drafted for Canada as the Supreme Court struck down a Section of the Criminal Code related to abortion in January. “You can’t expect too much fromthisnew law,’’ Mr. Packer warned the approximately 200 people at the meeting. He even predicted abortion clinics spring­ ing up in the future called, ‘‘Mr. Abortion, alongthelinesofMr. Submarine”. It will not be easy to be pro-life supporters in the years to come, he said. ‘‘You willhavetoriskgoing to jail somewhere along the line and that’s a horrible price.” ‘‘As my case shows, as soon as you come up against abortion, you come up against some incredibly powerful and maligned interests. ’ ’ Although he probably will not get back his Metro Police job, Mr. Packer said, “I’ve won. I don’t have to be involved in this carnage.” The 1988-89 board of directors was elected at the meeting and includes: Betty Emily Baird, Tees- water; Jim and Hinka Bakelaar, RR 5, Brussels; Sally Campeau, Wing­ ham; Wanda Damsma, RR 2, Teeswater; Bonnie Falconer, RR 2 Teeswater; Eleanor Kuyven- hoven, Wingham; Jean McDon­ ald, Belgrave; Nancy McKeon, Wingham and Joan and John Van Den Assem, RR 4, Brussels; Rev. John Vaudry,. Wingham. Jeffrey Ferguson concentrates hard as Bev Blair paints his face during the annual Garage Sale sponsored by the Blyth United Church Women in Blyth Friday night. Hundreds crowded Into the Blyth and District Community Centre for what has become a major community event as people look for bargains and fun in the games for children.