If your drive takes you along Forrest Reefs road, you’d be familiar with local legend, Brenda Dwyer, as she travels into Millthorpe on her motorised wheelchair each week. Determined not to let life get her down, she is a truly inspiring lady.

Brenda suffered two strokes in 2007, one in March, the second in May which then led her to living her life in a wheelchair. Four years on in 2011, her experience inspired her to start up the Orange Stroke Recovery Group (OSR), a group of 12 members who get together monthly to share their experiences and offer support to one another.

Brenda explained, “Not only are we getting together to discuss what’s happened and share advice, I think it’s important for people to know there are people who have gone through similar circumstances and that they aren’t alone. It’s interesting in that there are 12 of us that have had a stroke, but everyone has a different story and a different outcome.”

The OSR group get together for social activities as well, “We like to make life interesting for our members, we arrange various outings in the past visiting Art galleries, enjoying coffee mornings at the RSL and attending the Amusu Theatre at Manildra. It gets people out and about and doing things instead of being stuck at home, fancy sitting there all day with nothing to do, we may as well have something to look forward to.”

Inspired even further, this year, Brenda has been successful in organising a ‘Games Day’ for her group, the first to kick off on April 16. “We will have morning tea, games, lunch, and more games after lunch. I’m looking forward to watching everyone enjoy themselves. That’s the idea, to get out and enjoy life.. and bugger the stroke.

Millthorpe local and May Raechelle Art Gallery owner, Cathy Dorin’s shop became a frequent destination for Brenda to visit. “She’s in every weekend to see what’s here and what’s new, we often get together and have a cuppa, we’ve built up a friendship as well as a customer relationship, smiled Cathy. “Brenda is quite an inspiration, for someone who is in her situation, to not say ‘oh I give up’, but to fight back and say ‘well hang on I’m not going to let this get me down’, she’s probably one of the most independent people in a wheelchair I’ve ever seen in my life, you see her scooting up and down the roads on weekends and having lunch and morning tea with people, she’s more active than I am,” Cathy laughed.

“When Brenda was talking about starting up a games day for her stroke club, I thought, here is an opportunity for us to give back to the community, so with that I donated the games that will be used on the day. These games are not only physically stimulating, they are mentally stimulating, and I think that is also important, they can enjoy some friendly competition and also challenge themselves personally.”

Brenda added, “Cathy has been really great, she offered to get the games for me though I didn’t realise she was going to donate them, so we are very grateful for that. I am very much looking forward to watching everybody enjoying themselves, including myself. I think it’s important to think.. stuff the stroke, you’ve got to get on with your life and enjoy it.”

Meeting monthly on the third Monday of each month commencing at 10:30-12 in the HACC Centre Orange, anyone who has had a stroke is welcome.The groups next outing will be to the Amusu Theatre in Manildra on Monday February 17.

The OSR are always looking for new people, please contact Brenda on 636 63 225 for further information.

Games Days 2020

20th April, 15th June, 19th October

The games will include quoits, Velcro ball (like a dart board), memory cards, and more.