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MSWA Bulletin Magazine Spring 2020

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MSWA

MSWA MEMBER VISITING NARELLE Many of you will remember Narelle Taylor well. Up until nearly a year ago she published articles in Bulletin magazine. Narelle is a close friend of mine and is also an inspiration to me. I always used to open Bulletin when it arrived in the mail and eagerly turn to Narelle’s article so I could read it first. I always thoroughly enjoyed them, and when I started writing articles myself, I admit that there are elements of her style that I copied. I enjoyed the combination of humour and poignancy with which she described her life, living with multiple sclerosis. Narelle lives in an aged care facility now. I visit her regularly and I can assure you she has lost none of her quick wit or her sharp intelligence. I can also mention that she usually has a bottle of wine or two in the little bar fridge in her room, and some glasses on a shelf in her wardrobe, and she loves to have a conversation over a glass or two. During 2020, the COVID-19 situation put some limitations on Narelle that meant she appreciated my visits even more. I often took my friend David along with me, and he has come to love her as much as I do. During our visits, Narelle has shared much about her early life with us and has delighted us with her reminiscing. Narelle grew up and went to school in Sydney. She married Greg Taylor in Kalgoorlie in 1974 and had three delightful girls. She and her family moved to Arnhem Land in 1977, where their third child was born in 1981. Narelle taught literacy and numeracy to Indigenous people while she was there. In 1982 they built and launched a boat, on which they travelled in the northern parts of Australia and lived for three years. I can’t imagine travelling with little toddlers and babies on a boat, but Narelle did it and everyone survived to tell the tale! Back on land, Narelle managed the Geraldton Tourist Bureau for a while, then lived in Leinster where she and her husband managed their own business. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1992, and moved to Perth a couple of years later, where Greg started an engineering business. The girls went to school and university in Perth, and they are now all married and Narelle enjoys her five grandchildren very much. Sadly, her husband Greg died unexpectedly and suddenly in 2018. This year, COVID-19 has meant that for a while, visits to Narelle’s facility were limited but with the right preparation we could still go. We had to provide proof from our doctors that we had had flu vaccinations, and on entry our temperatures were taken. There were some limitations initially about when we could visit, and how long we could stay. These restrictions also applied to Narelle’s daughters and grandchildren, so the number of visitors she had was much reduced. Narelle remained in communication with me via the computer, and I know she was feeling quite lonely for some months. Previously she had often made her way in her electric chair to a nearby café where she would enjoy a cup of tea and cake with friends, but for several months that was not allowed either. If you have a friend or relative who lives alone or in a facility, make the effort to visit them as often as you can. David and I love our visits to Narelle, and always come home happy. Not only will you bring joy into someone else’s life, you will bring joy into your own. ROS HARMAN GUEST EDITOR 18

MSWA’S COMMITMENT TO RESEARCH MSWA is proud to be Western Australia’s leading contributor to neurological research. We are ready to find the causes, better treatments and hopefully one day, a cure for neurological conditions. MSWA.ORG.AU/COMMITMENT-TO-RESEARCH

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