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Sad but not surprising !

West Australian Racing
DustyDusty    69 posts
edited March 2013 West Australian Racing
I heard a sad story yesterday from a elderly lady who just buried her husband and who now lives alone on a property in the southwest that I thought I'd share as it was a very touching moment told through the sad eyes of a women who has only weeks ago lost everything she has lived for.

She and her husband where long time members of the Bunbury race club and enjoyed going to the races as it was part of there life and they enjoyed going to the races as there really only enjoyment as they have no other family.

Not long ago her husband had a stroke and developed other complications which saw him wheelchair bound for the rest of his life.

This elderly lady I would see often around the town either at the park pushing her husband or at the hospital taking her husband to hydrotherapy and rehabilitation sessions and it was clear that she loved her husband dearly.

Now this is were it gets sad ... She spoke of her husbands love of going to the races and how once wheelchair bound they couldn't have access to the members area anymore and they asked the club for assistance but got nothing not a bloody thing was done to help them.

She told us that she and her husband were so disappointed that after so many years of membership thet they were treated so badly and were offered no help or compassion, she only needed help to get the wheelchair up stairs and help at the end of the day to get back down.

She was truly heart broken and I was so sad for her.

I will now make a effort to stop in and have a cup of tea with her it's the least I can do and that's alot more than some other useless bast@rds.

+1 -1

RIO, oldhendo, carey likes this post.

Comments

  • RIORIO    14,902 posts
    Dusty..it is the simple acts in life that have the greatest impact..

    I hope you can entice her into a trip to the track with you as well at some stage..one small act of kindness on an individuals part can have a massive impact on those around them....random acts of kindness are a part of my life i cherish, and i vow to do them as often as i can...

    I am sure your contact with this recent widow has a far bigger impact on her than it does on you.
    +1 -1
  • Raff_2000Raff_2000    802 posts
    edited March 2013
    If I were a member of the club and I saw them there in that situation I would be only too happy to assist them in whichever way possible. You can tell how much people appreciate these kind of things and it makes it all well and truly worthwhile. I second your opinion on the above statement Rio :-bd
    +1 -1
  • DustyDusty    69 posts
    Her family have insisted that she sells up and moves back to England but she feels as if she's leaveing her husband behind but she realizes that she has no one here so shes put her property on the market.

    She's made it clear she never wants to return to the track which they loved so much together but maybe it's a good time for the club to have a wheelchair access put in place for future disabled members ??

    I'm sure they would have the money to do so and to be honest I never really thought about there not being one for patrons.

    I'm sure other clubs do have access for wheelchairs ????

    But maybe it's time that they do because you never know who's next to need somthing so simple.
    +1 -1
  • TheDivaTheDiva    13,248 posts
    I thought public places were required to have wheelchair access?

    H-BOMBER likes this post.

    +1 -1
  • RIORIO    14,902 posts
    Club rooms and facilities can be exempted Diva. Well they used to be able to anyway

    You would expect under royalties for rural areas funding that a lot of clubs got into they would ensure all people would have access to all facilities
    +1 -1
  • AndrewCarterAndrewCarter    2,171 posts
    Typical short sighted thinking by the club and all involved, clearly they've never heard of the word compassion and have no comprehension of its meaning.
    +1 -1
  • ph3varph3var    64 posts
    Ascot has a lift the goes up into the kitchen on the members floor. Not sure about belmont.
    +1 -1
  • H-BOMBERH-BOMBER    10,567 posts
    The Diva said:

    I thought public places were required to have wheelchair access?

    Yep I thought there was some law which stated that persons must be able to have access to all parts of a building which basically means lifts etc

    This may only be applicable to restoring old buildings and so forth, hence the reason so many of the old places throughout Perth CBD are sitting dormant, unrestored
    +1 -1
  • H-BOMBERH-BOMBER    10,567 posts
    ph3var said:

    Ascot has a lift the goes up into the kitchen on the members floor. Not sure about belmont.

    At least they have the escalators from memory
    +1 -1
  • SLIPPERGOLDENSLIPPERGOLDEN    8,435 posts
    edited March 2013
    Andrew Carter said:

    Typical short sighted thinking by the club and all involved, clearly they've never heard of the word compassion and have no comprehension of its meaning.

    You won't get any arguments with this post. Spot on!!

    +1 -1
  • raconteurraconteur    610 posts
    ...interesting when you consider the long time ( now deceased ) stalward of Albany RaceClub was in a wheelchair as was the WA Minister for Racing in late 80s and of course one of the best trainers in the world, trained the UK Triple Crown winner ( closely related to Mosayter) from a wheel chair....
    +1 -1
  • ThumperThumper    820 posts
    The Diva said:

    I thought public places were required to have wheelchair access?

    Only if built or modified after the laws to make this compulsory were passed. I assume the facilities at Bunbury were constructed well before these laws were introduced.
    +1 -1
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