May 2004 - Victoria Carpenter

Sometimes it pays to listen to the old adage “be careful what you wish for.” May was so hectic I hardly had time to think!

I got straight into it at the beginning of the month with my first unplanned endeavour, applying to make a NZ on Air funded documentary about neuromuscular conditions (NMC’s). People with NMC’s tend to be very creative when it comes to finding ways to manage their increasing muscle weakness, such as the man who was forced to crawl onto the train. Everyday members of the Muscular Dystrophy Association find themselves forced to do little things that might seem just as humiliating or strange to able-bodied people. For instance, a 30-year-old woman who can’t pick up her 9-month-old baby if she is standing up, or an 82-year-old man who can’t climb the stairs in his home, so he crawls up them every day. Many 82 year olds can’t climb stairs and many wouldn’t even try, however this particular man would, so he does, in the best way that he can, because he is not going to give up.

Those with NMC’s will do anything for independence, and it suddenly came to me that through a documentary of their day-to-day lives I can spread a positive message about the Muscular Dystrophy Association, our members and their lives, and reach all those kiwis who have never even heard our name.

I think it’s a compelling argument, and luckily the production company and TV3, who will screen the series, think so too. Filming begins on the 14th of June so I have spent this month talking to our members and compiling a list of people who are willing to go on camera to talk about their lives. It has been so good meeting all of these people, even though it can be heart wrenching. My goal is to approach people who have a broad mix of conditions, from different age groups, ethnicities and genders, to represent the fact that although NMC’s are genetically inherited conditions, no one is immune.

Perhaps only a small number will watch the programme when it screens later this year, but small in television could mean 100,000 viewers, and that is a huge reach! I have also commissioned our new profile-raising advertisement, and I am looking forward to seeing what ideas are generated. I have been looking at unifying our branding so that we don’t confuse too many people with our different messages.

Finally, we have been editing the AUT documentary that we have been making and will take delivery early June – it’s looking great, I can’t wait to show everyone.

See you next month!

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