Prevention is better Cure

Walt: respond to the presentation given by the Public Health Department.

Early this morning all the students went to the hall to learn about rheumatic fever. As the kids were coming from their classes we all waited and waited until the whole school ended up in the hall. Dr Alison Leversha and all the nurses from the Tamaki Community came to our school for a very special reason. Three guys from the Vodafone Warriors also came to school. They came to encourage us to say “Ahh” or to tell someone if you have a sore throat.

Awen Guthenbeil was a legend in Rugby League. Awen Guthenbeil represented New Zealand and Tonga in Rugby League. He told us a story when he was 9 years old. One day he woke up and he couldn't move a muscle. He told us that he had saw joints. So he dragged himself to his parents and he went to the doctors. Awen was in the hospital for two months. Then he realised he had rheumatic fever. So he had  treatment and stayed in the hospital for a long time.

It was the same for Crystal King, but she had a cold. Then it moved to a sore itchy throat. She thought  if she ignored it,  it would heal. Suddenly it worsened. She started to find it hard to breath, she also had painful joints like Awen Guthenbeil. She was so sick she couldn't walk. She had rheumatic fever. Crystal spent months in Starship hospital. With her family supporting her, Crystal made it to the end. For 7 years Crystal had to have injections going into her hip every 28 days. Crystal has taught me not to ignore my colds, fevers, sore throats and sore joints. You never know, you might have rheumatic fever without you knowing. 

There was a message that was given to us kids, parents and teachers, to never ignore a itchy sore throat. It could lead to rheumatic Fever and you will regret it for the rest of your life.