Healthy Living NT

As this was such a great community program, we wanted to share it again.

Applications are open for the Bill Raby Community Grant & Youth Grant

Merne Mwerre (Good Food) Merne Mwerre is a celebration of keeping tyerrtye (body) and utnenge (spirit) strong by eating good food and connecting to Apmere (Country). Merne Mwerre, tr...

Hello Alice Springs community!
We have two events left that are free to attend. Please RSVP by emailing [email protected] or calling (08) 89528 000.
Join us for these exciting gatherings!

Update programs :)

Hello Alice Springs community!
We have some fantastic upcoming events that are free to attend. Please RSVP by emailing [email protected] or calling (08) 89528 000.
Join us for these exciting gatherings!

National Carer Strategy Consultation Support
The consultation in Darwin will be held on 30 July from 10:30am-1:30pm at the Darwin Innovation Hub. Please reach out to [email protected]

Senior Resistance Classes 💪
Starting 19th July
To join us please call 8924 8488 or email [email protected]
Hope to see you all there.

Update programs :)

Hello Alice Springs community!
We have some fantastic upcoming events that are free to attend. Please RSVP by emailing [email protected] or calling (08) 89528 000.
Join us for these exciting gatherings!

Our Pod Buddies - Dusty and Vaugn.

Part 2 Pod Buddies story
Today story is Vaughn's story
Vaughn T1D Story

Hi my name is Vaughn Hampton.
I was born in Alice Springs however I belong to the Warlpirri people from Yuendumu. I found out I was type one when I was 28 years old. In saying this I have grown up with type one around me all my life. I can recall my sister warning me for putting too much sugar on my corn flakes. “You’ll get diabetes” she said. However I had no idea what she was talking about. After all I was only about 7 years old at the time. Then forward to another 10 years and my sister would die from being in a diabetic coma from the result of a domestic violent incident. This was one of the saddest days of my life. My sister was like a mother to me. Always looking out for me. When I was first diagnosed with type 1 I was in denial in having the disease. I went from a 100kg footballer to a 73kg unbalanced, shaking and a very weak man. This transformation happened in the space of 3 months. When a man half my size knocked me over I thought it’s time to get this fixed. I went and got the info and medications. I used it averagely for the next 20 years. It took 2 years to get back to footy and getting my strength back to play football at the top level in Alice Springs again. When I was 39 my dad would pass from a heart attack after he spent over 10 years managing type 1 diabetes also. I would experience a heart attack at the age of 41 years old. I would then get kidney disease and start dialysis at the age of 47. I have only just got on the transplant list 2 years later. During those two years I experienced “neuropathy”. Nerve damage from diabetes.
So to recap what I have been through.
1. Diabetes
2. Kidney disease
3: Heart Attack
4: High blood pressure
5: Neuropathy
All the above is tough. I even lost the ability to walk for 7 months. I was in a wheelchair for 2 months not able to walk at all. However hard work with the physio and bush medicine and prayers from family and friends gave me the strength to walk again.

You might say it’s bad luck. But as I have grown older and survived all the above I also believe I can manage this main causers of all my issues…..T1D.
Since I have made contact with Helen from healthy living my diabetes have never looked better. Using the Omnipods I’m all over it. I use to be so shame to use the pen in front of people. That’s why my managent was so average. I even have the bonus of making a pod buddy. My old footy team mate and school friend Dusty Taylor. The support from my partner, healthy living (Helen) and Dusty has made managing this silent killer, a piece of cake. I hope my story will inspire anyone that has to deal with T1D to manage it properly. I would not wish anyone to go through what I did and still dealing with. I will have to deal with neuropathy and diabetes for the rest of my life. I hope and wish all people with diabetes to managed diabetes properly for every single part of your life.

Meet the Pod Buddies:
Today's story is Dusty Story

Hey, my name's Dusty and I was born in Alice Springs. I am an Arrente person, traditional custodian of the land and its people. I live out here, surrounded by all that red desert. I'm now 51 but let me tell you about when I was just a kid of 13.

That's when I found out I had type 1 diabetes. It wasn't easy, especially at school. Kids can be mean, you know? Not only they would tease me because I am different but also because I had to give myself insulin shots and sometimes, I'd have to sit out of sports because of hypos. It made me feel small. My family didn’t know how to help me. So, I stopped taking my insulin, thinking it would help me fit in. But boy, was I wrong. That just made things worse. As a result of that decision, I eventually had to have both my legs amputated.

I didn't let that stop me, though. I finished school up to Year 10 and got a job driving buses for an indigenous health organisation. But my health was still a struggle. I had to go all the way to Darwin to have my legs amputated.

That's where I first met Helen. She worked at the hospital, and she was something else. She didn't judge me for what happened or for the mess I was in. She saw something in me, I reckon. She encouraged me to take care of myself, even when it seemed impossible.

The doctors said I might not make it past 45 but here I am 51 years old and still kicking because of Helen. When I moved back to Alice Springs, I ran into Helen again, this time at Healthy Living.

Helen introduced me to this thing called continuous glucose monitoring. It helped me keep track of my blood glucose levels without needing a fancy phone. She also reminded me how important it was to take my insulin, even when I didn't feel like it. She kept encouraging me and even found me a team to play wheelchair AFL.

But the biggest surprise came when Helen helped me try out this insulin pump called Omnipod. I could never afford something like that on my own, but Helen worked her magic and found someone from Alice Springs Type 1 community and Alice Springs T1 support group who donated it to me. She also helped the group with fundraising. I was speechless and could not stop crying when I went on the pump. Finally, someone had shown me that they cared enough to help me stay healthy and avoid more diabetes complications. I really do not want to be blind or go on dialysis like many of my relatives.

To top it all off, Helen found me a "pod buddy" his name is Vaughn, who also has type 1 diabetes. We used to play football together at school here in Alice. I haven’t seen him for a long time and didn’t know he had type 1. He is on dialysis. It was so good to see him again and we reconnected.
Thanks to Helen never giving up on me or judging, I found hope again. I realised that I wasn't alone in this fight and that there were people out there who cared about me. So, with Helen by my side, I am ready to face each day with a little more courage and a whole lot of gratitude.

Applications to the Fellowship are considered twice a year with the next round closing on 30 November 2024.
Applications are now open in the following categories:
• Youth with Diabetes
• Health promoting Community Support Grants
For further information, go to www.healthylivingnt.org.au or call Healthy Living NT on 89 278 488.

Just a gentle reminder that there will be no Senior Resistance classes until Friday 19th July (TBC). Enjoy your holidays

📢 Calling all community groups! The Bill Raby Diabetes Fellowship's community grant applications are open until November. 🌟

Our latest grant supported Children's Ground in creating a captivating video clip, Merne Mwerre, highlighting the importance of good food and connection to Country for a healthy body and spirit. 🥦

Featuring talented local First Nations members from Mparntwe (Alice Springs) like Edmond Doolan, Jarrel Williams, Monisha Martin Turner, and Carol Turner, Merne Mwerre showcases the power of bush tucker and cultural connection. 🌿

Thanks to collaboration with Lemon Tree Media and Productions, the Australian Government Indigenous Language and Arts Program, and ABC Kids, we're excited to continue promoting health and culture in our communities. Apply now and be part of the journey!
https://www.healthylivingnt.org.au/about-us/bill-raby-diabetes-fellowship

Merne Mwerre (Good Food) Merne Mwerre is a celebration of keeping tyerrtye (body) and utnenge (spirit) strong by eating good food and connecting to Apmere (Country). Merne Mwerre, tr...

Heart Week 6th – 12th of May

There is no single cause for any one heart condition, but there are risk factors that increase your chance of developing one.

• It’s never too early or late to manage your risk of heart disease and improve
your heart health

• You can help reduce your risk of heart disease by making positive changes to
your lifestyle

• Some risk factors for heart disease are beyond your control, such as: age,
gender, ethnicity, and family history

• High blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes can increase your chance of
developing heart disease

• Get a Heart Health Check with your GP to find out your risk of heart disease and
what you can do to prevent it.

Don't become another statistic!!
Get your Heart Checked or visit Heart Foundation for more information on a healthy heart.

Heart Week 6 - 12th May ❤️

Heart Week 6 - 12 May 2024

Every four minutes, one Australian suffers a heart attack or stroke. But knowing your risk is the first step to a healthier heart. That's why the Heart Foundation and Healthy Living NT wants you to see your GP for a Heart Check this Hear week.

Book a Heart Health Check with your GP today and never miss a beat.

Heart Week 6 - 12 May 2024

Walking together towards a healthy mind, body and heart. Join others in a celebration of Heart week by meeting The Cool Spot then taking a walk along East Point returning to The Cool Sport for Coffee

If you are interesting please advise Julie-Anne by
[email protected] or 8982 2709

Bill Raby Diabetes Fellowship

New Fellowship awards announced

The Fellowship Board of Governors approved the award of funding grants to organisations in the December 2023 funding round. These include:

• $2,956 to the Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit for the purchase of new exercise equipment for rehabilitation clients

• $4,925 to CatholicCare Resources Ltd to support the establishment of a School Breakfast and Lunch Program for the 15 mile community in Darwin.

Since its relaunch on 2016, the Fellowship has awarded almost $117,000 in funding to 48 community groups and individuals.

Applications to the Fellowship are considered twice a year with the next round closing on 30th May 2024. Applications are now open in the following categories:
• Youth with Diabetes
• Health promoting Community Support Grants
For further information, go to www.healthylivingnt.org.au or call Healthy Living NT on 89 278 488.

Senior Resistance Class
19 April @ 9am
Make sure you register so you don't miss out.

Here are updated flyers for the Strong.AS workshops in Alice Springs next Wednesday 17th April. Our lovely Dietitian and Cardiac Nurse are looking forward to seeing you at Healthy Living NT in the Jock Nelson Centre.

The Strong.AS program in Alice Springs is running 2 workshops next Wednesday 17th at Healthy Living NT Alice Springs. These free informative sessions are on Heart Health for Seniors and How to make sense of Food Labels. Be quick and register as spaces are limited. See the flyers for contact details and times.

Memorable moment with our dedicated board members, Yvonne and Rob Hall. 📸 As Rob bids farewell to Alice Springs, we express our deepest gratitude for his invaluable contributions to Healthy Living. Wishing him continued success on his journey. 🌟

For Seniors in Katherine - Thursday 7th March 2024, 10am to 1pm. Henry Scott Recreation Centre (YMCA) Roller Rink.

David Frost Living with Type 1 Diabetes – Turned 84, "Happy birthday David”

Bill Raby Diabetes Fellowship

New Fellowship awards announced

The Fellowship Board of Governors approved the award of funding grants to organisations in the December 2023 funding round. These include:

• $2,956 to the Central Australian Aboriginal Alcohol Programmes Unit for the purchase of new exercise equipment for rehabilitation clients

• $4,925 to CatholicCare Resources Ltd to support the establishment of a School Breakfast and Lunch Program for the 15 mile community in Darwin.

Since its relaunch on 2016, the Fellowship has awarded almost $117,000 in funding to 48 community groups and individuals.

Applications to the Fellowship are considered twice a year with the next round closing on 31 May 2024. Applications are now open in the following categories:
• Youth with Diabetes
• Health promoting Community Support Grants
For further information, go to www.healthylivingnt.org.au or call Healthy Living NT on 89 278 488.

Helen from Healthy Living NT came across Frank Holmes at Amplitawatja . What a good looking young healthy man for 81 years old.

Andrea and Helen heading out to Ampilatwatja clinic and met with...

"Guardian of the Gateway: Where donkeys stand, no trespassers pass! "

Love your heart this Valentine's Day!

Show your heart some extra love this Valentine's Day with the gift of cardiac rehab or a heart health check

If you or someone you care about is on the journey to cardiac recovery, join our cardiac rehab program for personalised exercises and support from our expert team. Take a meaningful step towards a stronger, happier heart.

Additionally, If you’re concerned about your risk of heart diseases, consult with your GP and schedule a heart health check.

Don't wait until it's too late to show your heart some love! Contact us today to learn more

There is a peer support group for people living in Alice Springs affected by heart disease starting this February. See the flyer for more information or contact Matt on 0418 624 631