Please join us on our 6.5km coastal walk and help raise funds for Matt's TS!
DATE
Sunday 15th May, 2016
EVENT LOCATION
Start and finish at Trigg Beach Clarko Reserve, Trigg
For Location details visit - www.google.com.au/maps/place/Clarko+Reserve
Plenty of parking near the reserve as well as 2 alternate car parks close by and street parking
START TIME
07:30AM - 8:00AM
On arrival please make your way to the signed "Welcome" area for collection of TS wrist band.
Upon completion join Matt's family and be amongst friends
for a well deserved sausage sizzle (gold coin donation).
A coffee van will be on-site to purchase a cuppa
Enjoy your day, check the weather and take care with sunscreen and water bottles.
A very big "THANK YOU" to our major sponsor Landscape Constructions
and all our sponsors for their support in helping make this event possible!!
"We can't help everyone but everyone can help someone" - Ronald Reagan
MATT'S Message is simple - Multiplying Awareness Towards Tourette Syndrome.
Please read Matt's story below.
MATT'S STORY
“I don’t always mean what I say or do” - Matt 13yrs
Matt looks like your average teenage boy on the exterior, however every day is a real struggle for him as his TS can become extremely tiresome and sometimes painful to control and difficult to manage. Given he is also confronted with other comorbid conditions such as Dyslexia, OCD, ADHD and Auditory Processing, (all these) greatly contribute to his battle with Anxiety and Depression causing constant uncertainty, confusion and stress within his brain. For Matt, this causes behavioural difficulties like his involuntary mouth and limb movements referred to as “TICS”, verbal repetition, phrases he doesn't mean and swearing otherwise known as vocalisations which are totally out of his control and not “put on”. “There is no need to over-react to these TICS & Vocalisations, they all pass....”
“TS does not affect my intelligence but I need to learn differently and have lots of help……” Matt struggles to attend main stream school without the assistance of a Teacher’s Aid (shared amongst other children with learning difficulties), however his TS prevents him from learning even in this supported classroom environment and the family must seek outside educational support. This involves Matt attending a private learning centre (Funtrack) where he receives one on one learning to help grasp the educational skills he misses in the classroom due to the energy and concentration being expelled to control his TS. This much needed support is not government funded and is an additional financial burden.
“Activities that I enjoy help me to control my tics and vocalisations…..” One place Matt can truly let go and feel uninhibited of his TS is in the water – the ocean his best friend. His passion for the surf, snorkelling, keeping active and attending Surf Lifesaving allows him a sense of belonging to a community environment without prejudice. With hard work and dedication Matt has achieved amazing results by recently qualifying for the WA State Surf Lifesaving Championships. This is a true testament to Matt’s character to never give up despite the challenges. “Don’t Let TS stop you from fulfilling your dreams and never give up....”
The family give unconditional love and support to their beautiful 16 and 10 year old children who also help play a very important part in supporting Matts TS. The family’s main focus is helping Matt prepare for challenging years ahead so he can better control his TS and have a role in society where people can see Matt and not his TS even with extreme daily challenges.
It has only been recently, that Matt has started to discuss his TS in public amongst friends with less shame and embarrassment. With your help he wants to raise awareness, understanding and be accepted not only for himself but for anyone with TS.
Thank you for taking the time and we hope you will share Matt's story with many others.
Marie x
To find out more about TS view the brief video above or visit www.tourette.org.au