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The Spina Bifida Foundation of Victoria

Website: www.sbfv.org.au Email: info@sbfv.org.au Phone: 9663 0075

Helping people with Spina Bifida lead better lives...

About the Spina Bifida Foundation of Victoria
About Spina Bifida
Doug's Story
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About the Spina Bifida Foundation of Victoria

The Spina Bifida Foundation of Victoria is an independently funded, dynamic and professional not-for-profit organisation dedicated to helping people with spina bifida live better lives. We provide information and programs to people with spina bifida and their families in Victoria. Some of our services include regular newsletters, fitness programs, educational seminars, social programs, information about allied health services and access to an online community that enables people with spina bifida to communicate and network with others throughout Victoria.

The Spina Bifida Foundation of Victoria is on a membership drive and are raising their profile in the community. They welcome both individuals and organisations as members. If you are interested in joining or need more information please visit our website, or contact us by email or by calling 9663 0075.

About Spina Bifida

Spina bifida is the incomplete formation of the spine and spinal cord. It occurs before birth, during the first month of a baby’s development in the womb. People with spina bifida have varying degrees of permanent disability including paralysis or weakness in the legs, bowel and bladder incontinence, hydrocephalus and specific learning difficulties.

Doug's Story

Doug has been a member of the Foundation for over 10 years. Like many SBFV members, he is an active and independent member of the community.

For Doug, school was an overall enjoyable experience, aside from the occasional hitch. When it came time to start school, the education department didn’t want him to attend a mainstream primary school, with the excuse that because he couldn’t walk other students might step on him. But with some amateur physiotherapy on his parents’ behalf and a lot of determination, he began to develop the muscles needed to start walking. It was a natural progression for him from primary school to attend the local community school, rather than the mainstream high school. The small school, with only 61 students and a great teacher student ratio, had other students with various disabilities, which made it much easier and the environment more welcoming. “There were no real prejudices and anything like that was dealt with,” he recalls.

After finishing school, Doug began a priority one traineeship with Ansett Australia. For 12 years he worked there until the collapse of the airline in 2002, which was, like for many of his colleagues, a particularly low point in his life. But determined to remain active, Doug took on volunteering. He has taken up a prominent voluntary role in the Foundation as the role of Chairperson for the newly formed Advisory Committee as well as working most afternoons for a family friend who owns a small business. His work on the committee has earned him the esteemed Malcolm B. Menelaus award. The award, named after the foundation’s co-founder and presented at the annual SBFV Night of Celebration, recognises the outstanding achievements of members each year.

When asked what he thinks is the best thing about being a member of SBFV, Doug says, “To me, it’s the networking aspect, its meeting people, the social aspect.” He believes that the foundation has improved so much over the years, and will continue to be a strong network for people with spina bifida in Victoria.

(Name of the member has been changed on request to honor their privacy)

Thanks to Doug for sharing his story.

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