Courtenay’s 21st celebrated

LOVING LIFE: Courtenay Grey, who wore wings and a party dress on her 21st birthday, is flanked by parents, Philip and Dorothy, brother David (kneeling), sister Kara (left, with fiancé Jordan Craig), friends from Patricia Avenue School and many of the 120 helpers who assisted with the Dolman Programme. 050081AD

Volunteer helpers join Courtenay and family for special occasion

By Grant Johnston

Courtenay Grey loves listening to music on ‘The Edge’ radio station (sometimes singing along) dancing and watching ‘Mr Bean’. These past-times are not unusual for a young woman - but in Courtenay’s case would not have been possible without the determination of her parents and the efforts of a supportive community.

And on Saturday, 80 of those helpers joined Courtenay and her family at St Pat’s Hall to celebrate her 21st birthday.

Courtenay’s reaction to an infant vaccine left her brain-injured and her parents were told that she would never walk or talk. Philip and Dorothy Grey refused to accept life in a wheelchair as their daughter’s ‘lot’ and they enrolled in the Dolman Programme.

A plea through the Courier saw 120 helpers volunteer to assist with the daily patterning exercises required to get Courtenay’s brain and limbs moving. These exercises were carried out for 365 days a year for four years - often spanning 12 hours from the first ‘shift’ to the last.

When Courtenay took her first unaided steps at two and a half, there were tears of joy from many of the helpers as well as her parents.

At Saturday’s function, when I asked Philip Grey what differences the programme had made to his daughter’s life he had one word “independence”.

“Courtenay will always have an intellectual disability, but she does many things she would never have been able to do and she really enjoys her life. She’s always happy.”

Mr Grey also believes without the robustness of lungs the exercises gave her, when she contracted some of the illnesses children typically get, it may well have been life threatening.

Courtenay is in her last year at Patricia Avenue School in Hamilton (for people with disabilities) - her ‘mates’ from school were at Saturday’s function. She catches the bus in Te Awamutu at 7.30 each week day morning and hops off back in town at 4.30pm. Many people in town know her, including her ‘helpers’ of course.

The family lives on a four hectare block at Te Kawa and Courtenay loves the animals and open space.

As a way of ‘giving back’ to a community they feel helped them tremendously, Mr Grey was a committee member for Waikato West IHC for 19 years (president for seven) and Mrs Grey has helped other families on the Dolman Programme.

Courtenay’s older sister Kara (23) gets married next month. Husband-to-be Jordan Craig knows that Courtenay is a big part of Kara’s life.

“If it wasn’t for my parents and the Te Awamutu community, Courtenay would never have experienced as much as she has in the last 20 years,” Kara says.

Courtenay is a special girl and she has special needs - but she also lives in a caring community with a special family.