Page 34 - link magazine

34 The Link Magazine • October 2004
Oxygen chamber users celebrate 21 years of relief from MS symptoms
A charity that provides essential relief to sufferers of multiple sclerosis by using deep sea diving technology held a celebration for two of
its members who have been attending the Swindon MS Centre in Cheney Manor for 21 years.
Ann Hart and David Hughes, week which results in reduced lev- from MS for 35 years. "It started cal diagnosis, follow up, care and
both from Purton, were the first els of fatigue, improvement in after my daughter was born and support has been inadequate.
users of the centre's pressurised bladder control, balance, visual took four years to be diagnosed. "But the Great Western Hospi-
hyperbaric oxygen chamber which disturbance and sensory percep- Oxygen is not a miracle cure; it tal has a newly appointed MS nurse
is open four sessions a week. tion. The chamber, which can take relieves the pain, the pins and nee- and we are working with her as
MS sufferers breath pure medi- up to six people, is supervised by dles all over my body and has kept well as the sufferers she refers to
cal grade oxygen through a face trained volunteer operators. me out of a wheelchair." us."
mask for an hour several times a Ann, 62, said she had suffered The centre, the only one within The centre also runs physi-
Ann Hart and David Hughes inside the hyperbaric oxygen chamber with Swindon 35 miles, is a registered charity otherapy classes and provides ad-
Therapy MS Centre inauager Jackie Wray and volunteer dive chamher operator and funded entirely by the efforts vice on exercise programmes and
Brian Danby of volunteers. Manager Jackie diet. They hope to widen the range
Wray said MS sufferers do not get of therapies in the future.
a fair deal from the NHS. "We do Volunteers are always needed
as much as we can as a voluntary to help with fund-raising events or
organisation, but the onset of MS in the day-to-day running of the
can be gradual and people may centre. For information call Jackie
feel very isolated because the medi- Wray, on 481700.

Lights on their way to more homes
Help from a couple living in Freshbrook will soon enable twenty
families in Kenya to light their homes without relying on dangerous
open flame paraffin wicks.
Chandu Ladwa, a F s ,
ground engineer !
with British Air- ^
ways - who was
PALM JOINERY born in Kenya - do- .,o.
nated his personal
Purpose made and standard size Joinery and Cabinetry
shipping allowance ` t
Doors, windows, staircases, bedrooms, home studies etc to send twenty _
To discuss your requirements Lights for Learning
7^ weown solarpoweredlight- qq^ p
call Derek Palmer on 01793 854 777
Yellow ing kits to Nairobi, r °
Unit 10 Oaklands Ind. Est. Braydon, Swindon ^"T Pages and his wife Meena t i
paid the balance Inc '
transporting them.
Lights for Learn- Sending Lights for Learning to Kenya, from left, Shushmn
4e/tciii,i% fhiou' ing was first pub li-
Link Patel of the Swindon Hindu Samaj, Lawrence Cole and
cisedin the July
Roger Mugridge, and Chandra Ladwa
where we described
( ) how Roger Mugridge from the lights at Lyneham on 15 Sep-
Roger and Jean demonstrated
Cricklade came to invent a simple
C `^f^^11 P1I^«G^'^ti?^ ^ lightingsystemusingasolarpanel, tember and made a great impres-
rechargeable battery and LED sion. Eddie said, "they've come up
YOUR LOCAL PVC-U MANUFACTURER lights to provide illumination for with an incredible device; I could
homes. Their potential for chang- see immediately that it can change
• Buy direct from ing the lives of millions across the the lives of millions and millions
our factory i C,-;1 Win planet without electricity is enor- of poor people around the world.
mous, and more people are corn- "It is so simple in design and
• We make it and I ing forward to help develop the construction. Roger's idea of the
we fit it project. lights being assembled in Kenya is
Roger said the twenty kits will feasible and I will be promoting
• High security be distributed to families in most Lights for Learning to agencies and
• 10 year guarantee need by the Mombasa Lions. His individuals when we're there. I
wife, Jean, and friend Lawrence imagine there will be great interest
• Lowest prices Cole, who run the Lights for Learn- in developing the ideas."
ing charity, are seeking more sup- Roger said the increasing enthu-
Why not let port from business to develop the siasm for the lights was very heart-
project. ening. "The support from Chandu
^.. : us handle The Link has introduced their and Meena is fantastic. We took
idea to both Swindon MPs, with three kits to Kenya last year but
everything Julia Drown contacting Swindon did not know how to get more out
power company Innogy about tak- there without huge cost. They have
f7''om sta t to ing an interest, been very generous.
We also contacted Flt Sgt Eddie "It was also tremendous meet-
a finish? BrophyatRAFLyneham,whoruns ing Eddie at Lyneham. He knows
Project Albert, which involvesvol- the kind of open paraffin wicks
Call today 01793 790944 unteer servicemen helping poor people use to light their homes
and marginalised people in Kenya. and is keen to help Lights for Learn-
or 07973 232435 (evenings and weekends) A team will be travelling to the ing where he can. His introduc-
Great Rift Valley in October to con- tions in Kenya will certainly move
The Marsh, Lower Wanborough. SN4 OAS
struct two bridges, things forward for us."