Rose

Advocating for accessibility is a continuous journey for us, especially since it’s challenging for Gerry to go anywhere. While we actively participate in local Advisory groups, there’s still much work ahead.

Rose is the wife of Gerry, a farmer. In 1975, Gerry was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy (MD).

“It has been a long slow progression with Gerry’s disease. Early on before we discovered self-management, we had strangers coming into our home and it felt like a privacy invasion. Gerry was training hundreds of different people and we got sick of it. Then we joined LMW and took the management over ourselves and everything changed. I get support handling the paperwork and payroll which helps a lot.”

“Now Gerry chooses his Support Workers but I’m involved too, and we do the interviews together. Because it always involves people in our home, this is a decision we both make and whoever we choose always needs to align with our values. We build rapport with our Support Workers and get to know them. I don’t hover and let them do their job. If there’s an issue we discuss and work it out together.”

“We have a good system that runs well, and I trust them 100% which is wonderful.”

- Rose, Gerry’s Wife

Advocating for accessibility

“Our persistent efforts led to a victory when our local post office eventually installed a ramp. Gerry also provided valuable insights to our local Council during the building phase of a new public carpark, ensuring it was accessible for everyone.”

“We yearn for better community facilities and more thoughtful planning from developers when building new homes. For example, our friends always have to visit us because there’s no access for Gerry to visit them. Being an ex-pilot, Gerry dreams of spending more time at our local Aero Club, but despite our letters and advocacy, little has changed. Even the new wing at our local hospital has its share of accessibility challenges. With our lived experience we’ve learned that we can’t fight every battle, so we choose the ones that matter most.”

Gerry

Rose and Gerry (video)

Kerrie and Gerry (video)

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Our latest stories

Scott

In 2022 Scott moved house and has been living independently for the last 3 years. With the help of his Support Workers, and members of the community, he’s built a new life that he loves.

Garth

Over five years ago, I was travelling to a friend’s wedding in Ireland when I got very sick. I was able to return to Australia a few months later, for more treatment and eventually I became an amputee. Suddenly, it was like everything I knew had been taken away from me. I had to re-learn from scratch.

Gerry

Gerry is a farmer. He spent many years working his 4,000-acre farm in Condobilin with his wife and three sons. In 1975, he was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy (MD), but that didn’t stop Gerry. He adapted his farming equipment to continue working on the land he loved for many more years.

Empowering people to get on with life.

operations@lmwl.org.au
Phone (02) 8525 4000
Fax (02) 8525 4011

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Menai Head Office

Ground Floor, 44-60 Allison
Crescent, Menai NSW 2234

Seven Hills Office

Unit 10, 197 Prospect Hwy,
Seven Hills NSW 2147

Mailing Address

PO Box 67, Menai Central,
NSW 2234

ABN

47 110 995 518

Acknowledgement of Country

Living My Way acknowledges the Dharawal people who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work. Living My Way pays respect to Elders past and present and extends this respect to other Aboriginal people visiting our website.

Areas We Serve

Our disability services primarily support people across Greater Sydney, particularly Western Sydney, Sutherland Shire, St George and Wollongong City Council.

“Storytelling is how we invite our Member voices to shine and share something meaningful… We want to inspire, engage and educate our community through real stories.”

“We all pitch in to get things done. I would say, hand on heart, that the people we employ are truly Memberfocused and understand how their role can help Members meet their aspirations.”