Karen McNamara (Dobell, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to share the story of Lifeline Newcastle and Hunter and the Steel Magnolia Awards. Lifeline on the Central Coast was established in 1966, when Reverend John Chegwidden received a distressing phone call from a man wanting to know if there was a Lifeline service operating in the region. Since that day almost 50 years ago, Lifeline has been supporting people suffering from mental health issues in our community.

Sadly, the level of youth suicide on the Central Coast is far too high. In fact, two in three Australians know someone who has died through suicide, yet one in four are unaware of services providing support for people who are suicidal. We are blessed in our community to have many dedicated people who are addressing this major issue, and organisations such as Lifeline provide much needed support to those who are facing mental distress.

Lifeline offers a beacon of hope and reassurance that life's challenges can be overcome. Over the years Lifeline volunteers have heard stories from men and women who have had courage, strength and hope in the face of unimaginable adversity. The inspirational stories of the women helped by Lifeline inspired the creation of the Steel Magnolia Award. Each year Lifeline holds a fundraiser and awards luncheon at the Mingara Recreation Club, at Tumbi Umbi, which is an event I have proudly attended and supported for over three years now.

This year's Steel Magnolia Award recipient is Julia Sawyer. Julia established Blair's Wish, in 2011, to assist children afflicted with a physical disability. At just 18 months of age, Julia's third child, Blair, was diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Throughout this heart-rending experience Julia saw an opportunity to make a difference to other parents with children living with a disability. After waiting two years for a specialised wheelchair for Blair, only to find when it was delivered that Blair had outgrown it, Julia decided there and then to establish Blair's Wish.

Blair's Wish started as a simple Facebook page, but it has grown from that. The vision of Blair's Wish is to operate a loan pool of vital equipment for children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and for special needs children diagnosed with conditions similar to cerebral palsy; to provide support to families affected by cerebral palsy and similar disabilities; and to increase public awareness of cerebral palsy. Today these dreams have been realised, through Julia's determination and willingness to approach businesses and source demonstration models of specialised equipment. In 2012, for her work with Blair's Wish, Julia was nominated at the Central Coast New South Wales Volunteer of the Year awards.

Today, Blair's Wish supports many local families. Their team of dedicated volunteers help to fundraise and to distribute the equipment. Julia's hope is to expand Blair's Wish to other regions to enable other families with disabled children to benefit from this outstanding initiative. I had the pleasure of meeting Julia and her husband, who have turned an extremely difficult position into a positive. They are both wonderful parents, both driven by the love of their beautiful little boy Blair. I look forward to meeting Blair in the near future. Julia was selected from an outstanding group of candidates for this year's award, including Stephanie Van Leeuwen, Cathy Zernos, Catherine Bowley, Heather Crawford and Michelle Fenton.

The Young Achiever Award recognises young women who have overcome adversity. This is an area where Lifeline is particularly focused on making a difference. The winner of the Young Achiever Award was Mikalah Harnet. Mikalah's mother suffers from a degenerative condition that can leave her incapacitated. Mikalah is the eldest of three siblings and has taken on the role of carer in the home. Despite the fact that she does not lead the life of a normal teenager, Mikalah is committed to her studies and is working towards obtaining her high school certificate. Within her Narara Valley High School community, Mikalah has created a young carers support group. This group provides a much-needed support network for other students in similar situations. This is an example of how young people on the Central Coast are working together to address such challenges. I would also like to acknowledge the other nominees for this award: Sharney Charters, Ella Whelan and Sharni Stuart, who all share inspirational stories on how they have overcome adversity.

I would particularly like to thank Kay Chapman, the CEO of Lifeline Central Coast/Hunter, and her team for their commitment to helping those in need. Through Lifeline's telephone crisis line, online crisis support, mental health resource centre, and free service finder, they are providing hope to those who are suffering from mental distress. It is a great pleasure to stand in parliament and share the stories of this organisation.