Latest news with #Tigger
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
‘I can't even stand unassisted, let alone walk, but I'm looking forward to my new life': JULIE BURCHILL has a few weeks of hospital rehab left
There's about a month to go (and about two months gone) of my projected stay in rehabilitation after life-saving surgery left me without the ability to walk. I am a puppet with severed strings; in the gym my spirit animal appears to be Orville the Duck. 'I can't!' I bleat to the physio. 'You can!' she urges me, too young to remember him. I'm looking forward to going home more than words can say. I long to be alone in my bedroom again, even if I do have to be decanted in and out of bed. There's a reason I turned down Celebrity Big Brother twice, and that came with a six-figure reward: I'm awful at living with people. Once so easy-going, I've become a tutter; I use my first breath of the morning to tut, and my last. To be fair, there's a lot to tut about. The nursing staff will turn their hands to anything; other employees, not so much. A man comes in to flush the taps and when asked if he can open a window, he says he can't but he'll find someone who can. A woman with a clipboard can't ring my emergency call-bell but she'll ask someone who will. The broken window by my bed is 'mended' with strips of Sellotape when I arrive here in midwinter – it's 'bracing'. As I cannot stand or walk, I need to be hoisted in a kind of big sling; there's only one that can be used in the bath, serving a ward of more than 20 people, and it has to be washed between uses. It does make you wonder where all the money spent on the NHS is going. Inevitably, there is camaraderie in the ward. In the morning and evening we call salutations by name to each other, like in The Waltons. Occasionally, the riffing of certain ward-mates on mobile phones on the subjects of illness and death makes me, a natural Pollyanna, somewhat exasperated. They list ailments they've had, as well as the ones friends and relations have had, then it's on to people they know who have expired from aforementioned ailments. And when they've exhausted the roster of people not in the pink, sick pets get a mention! These nuggets of nihilism are interspersed with feel-good clichés about how we are Strong Women and We Will Recover. I crave conversation about something other than sickness interspersed with fatuous positivity statements that Etsy would ban for being too saccharine. I find myself a sourpuss more and more these days; I, who used to be called Tigger by my friends. I haven't been without a catheter since the surgery and – though I felt a certain affection towards the little bag at first – after three months, taking a paperback-sized sample of my own urine around with me makes me feel like a ventriloquist with a particularly surly puppet. I no longer mess myself, but wear a nappy (great excitement when I graduated to pull-ups) and use a commode twice a day. Growing up, I was a shy girl; when my mother tasked me with buying toilet rolls I'd get boxes of tissues instead. Now that more people have seen my anus than Edmund White's, those days are gone; in my hoist I dangle happily waiting to be wiped, like a piñata full of excrement rather than gifts. I am praised by the cheerful young nurses for my promptness and productivity. 'Make me proud!' one of them instructs as she leaves me in my cubicle. Once, on a very rare occasion, I become tetchy when there is a mishap: 'I have urine on my hand!' I exclaim, like Lady Bracknell. My outrage, when for weeks the nurses have been performing the most intimate assistance for me, is ludicrous, and we all start laughing. My husband Daniel praises me for being so stoic, but I only let him visit for an hour max, so he doesn't know the half of it. I don't know of any Stoic who'd sit on a commode swearing like a Steven Berkoff character because they'd been made to wait till last for their bath. Our relationship is unusual. I know it works for many people, but I don't want to ask him to be my official carer. Though he's a lot younger than me, I've always been the tough one, health-wise, and a complete role reversal would be too much for me to handle. Because of this, I become over-brusque. When invited to ask him to the initial Patient Planning Meeting, I answered crisply, 'No, thank you – he needs to mind his own business.' At the next one, I'm very pleased he's with me. Right from the start, when we got together illicitly, the partners-in-crime motif has been strong with us, from our toothsome youth to our toothless old age. I don't want the playful element – for me, the essential ingredient to a successful intimate relationship – to be swamped by the considerable burden of being my chief carer. Just like we always met at restaurants rather than wasted time cooking – I'd rather make more money and pay for it. Nevertheless, we've become much closer. 'I see more of you now than I did when you lived ten minutes away,' he points out in hospital one day, only half-joking. It's true I like my own space, but when he leaves I cling to him and whisper, 'Please let me come home now. I'm promise I'll never be bad again.' It's done in the character of one of the menagerie of creatures who people our private language, but we both know I partly mean it as Julie. There are bad times to follow. An MRI shows that there's still some poison in there after my operation. I alternately convulse and freeze like a statue, the process waking me from my sleep. It's scary. I dream about my mum: 'Do you like my scar?' I ask her, displaying the line that goes from the nape of my neck to the top of my bum. 'No, I liked you the way you were before,' she answers. (My late mother was the sweetest of women and wouldn't have dreamt of saying this.) I awake crying and remark loudly that I'd rather be dead than live this way. They send a counsellor to talk to me. When he asks, 'Do you ever feel that your thoughts are being broadcast?' I reply chirpily, 'Only for payment!' and tell him my professional name, which, being around my age, he recognises. I answer his questions frankly for an hour and at the end I say sweetly, 'If you need more, I can be heard talking about my deepest feelings on Desert Island Discs from 2013, available on BBC Sounds.' I've appreciated my time here – principally because of the nursing staff. It's easy to fall into the 'angels' cliché but there is something superhuman about the ability of the best ones to tirelessly deal with the more harrowing and/or malodorous aspects of human life, which most of us couldn't handle for a morning, let alone every day, and so light-heartedly. They are a wonderful antidote to the common belief that human beings – especially young women – are easily traumatised or 'broken'. Only a couple out of the team of dozens act as though they find their work a bore or a chore. I ask a friend who is also unable to walk how she reconciles her situation with her former life, when we both relished them so much while other un-handicapped people moan ceaselessly and don't seem to enjoy what they have. She says, 'I know what you mean. But if you think about it, they will be miserable all their lives, despite being able-bodied, whereas we can be happy despite our bad luck.' It's a lovely bit of wisdom, backed up by that baseline happiness survey some time back, which claimed that miseries who win the lottery soon go back to being miseries while cheery types who lose their legs go back to being cheery. I can't even stand unassisted, let alone walk; I'm nevertheless looking forward to my new life with curiosity as well as trepidation. It won't be the lovely carefree one I had before but I'm going to give it everything I've got. And I'm going to learn to love it, too.
South Wales Argus
29-04-2025
- South Wales Argus
A local Abercarn hero who risked his life has passed away
46-year-old Tristram Kelvin Maggs from Abercarn sadly passed away February 28. Tristram was a much-loved figure in the Abercarn community and a loving father who leaves behind two young daughters, Olivia and Grace Maggs 15 and 14. He was better known by his nickname 'Tigger' which was given to him by his older sister Kristian Edwards when they were children. Tigger playing rugby as part of Abercarn RFC (Image: Kris Edwards) Tributes for Tigger have flooded in including a tribute from the woman whose life he saved back in 2010. On April 29, 2010, Lousie Whittaker lost control of her car whilst driving near Risca. During the crash Lousie's car rolled down a banking and caught on fire. Lousie was left trapped inside her car with no way to get out. Tigger with his family Kris Edwards, Carlie Griffiths , Grace Maggs, Olivia Maggs, Ben Edwards, Isabel Edwards and Simon Edwards (Image: Kris Edwards) Speaking of that day the 36-year-old said: 'It was awful, I just remember being trapped in the car that was crushed and the only window I could get out of was the passenger window and when I tried to get through that I was stuck.' Luckily for Lousie Tigger arrived. 'He basically could see I was stuck and tried everything to get me out. 'I didn't think I was getting out and at first, I was like I don't want to die then I looked at him and said you're going to have to leave me and Tigger said 'we aren't leaving don't you dare give up'.' Tigger with his father Kelvin Maggs (Image: Kris Edwards) Thankfully, more onlookers arrived at the scene and locals were able to move the car so Louise could escape. She said: 'They managed to push the car up and someone pulled me out and carried me away. The car just started going up and the flames engulfed the car. 'I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him, and I just want his family to know what an amazing man he was. 'It's surreal because he saved my life and he's not here it doesn't seem fair.' Louise Whittaker who was saved by Tigger (Image: Lousie Whittaker) More than three hundred people attended Tigger's funeral which locals helped fund via a GoFundMe page. The GoFundMe reads: 'If you knew Tigger, you'd know that he was an amazing man. 'He would always have the biggest smile and warmest heart. He would give his last to anyone who needed it.' A staggering £2,890 was raised for Tigger's funeral. He will be deeply missed by the Abercarn community.
Belfast Telegraph
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Armagh and Tyrone GAA fans gear up for Ulster's biggest rivalry: ‘This fixture brings out the best in both teams'
Clones wasn't big enough for the rival counties' fans, and to add even more drama, that game ended in a draw — so the following replay match was held in Croke Park as well. The two teams haven't actually met in the Ulster Championship since 2012, so their semi-final clash this Saturday has an added aura of friction and historic significant, and supporters far and wide are both excited and trepid for the event. Tara O'Neill was only a baby when Tyrone won their first All-Ireland back in 2003, beating their Orchard county neighbours in the process. Whilst she has little memories of those early Noughties battles between the squads, she wouldn't miss Saturday's semi-final for the world — even with a five-hour time difference in New York. 'I've lived in New York since September and I'm here working for the foreseeable, but I'd be a big Tyrone supporter and we would typically watch the games in one of the Irish pubs,' said the Omagh native. 'I'm always keen to watch it as well because I love having that link to home. I do have early memories, especially around 2005-2008, of Armagh being a big rival, and my mum and dad would always have been at the matches before I was born, so they always would have told me stories about the rivalry.' The 23-year-old continued: 'I was even explaining to my housemate who is from Galway, that this is going to be a big match at home, because it hasn't happened in a long time. 'The match will start at about 11.45am here, but I'm so looking forward to it. I only have 10 days of paid leave with the company that I work for here, which is the standard in America, but I've been saying since I moved over that I'll be saving my paid time off for if Tyrone get to the All-Ireland, or even just make it far in the championship.' Over 3,000 miles away, and on the opposite support side, is Damian McCullough — an Armagh legend in his own right, who will be attending the match at St Tiernach's Park this weekend. The 66-year-old has risen to GAA fame for his Tigger costume, which he initially donned when Armagh won their first All-Ireland title back in 2002. The Camlough man dressed as the Winnie the Pooh character again for Armagh's All-Ireland final last year, and by doing so, raised over £5,000 for two charities — Sister Consillio's and Care for Caolan. Tigger won't be making an appearance on Saturday, but Damian — who describes Armagh as 'the ecclesiastical capital' — believes his county will win, probably by a knife's edge. 'Tyrone and Armagh have been good for each other, because they try to bring the best out of each other,' he said. 'And don't forget, we got robbed in 2003 [All-Ireland final] with a very, very bad refereeing decision. 'I've been there through it all. I was there the day when Frank McGuigan scored right, left and everywhere, and all you could do was applaud the b******. 'I was there in 1980, when we beat Tyrone 4-10 to 4-7 in the Ulster final. 'But with Armagh, it's all about meeting people. I go to all the games, so you're meeting the same people at the same games, and I'm sure it's the same with Tyrone. 'I suppose with the way the world is at the minute, it gives us a wee bit of a break from the reality of life.' Paul Kelly from Portadown, founder of the popular Armagh Fans 1889 social media pages, lamented the fact that the game isn't on terrestrial TV, and will instead be exclusively shown on the GAA's new streaming platform, GAA+. 'It's a shame,' he stated, and questioned whether the regular channels of BBC NI, RTE and TG4 have 'missed out'. 'Armagh v Tyrone is a fixture that goes back to 1890 — 135 years ago. We met Tyrone in the Ulster final and won with a scoreline of 2-08 to 1-02 'Since then, this historic GAA fixture has given both counties their best days and days we would like to forget; a rivalry like no other in recent years. 'What can be said is this fixture brings out the best in both teams, it brings out the best with the fans also. It's one neither of us want to lose.' Stephen Millar, who lives in the border area of the Moy (which is in Tyrone but only separated from Armagh by the Blackwater river) added: 'Tyrone are going to win by two (hopefully), then every Armagh person is getting evicted from the Moy, including my mother. 'I can't wait. Half of the mates would be Armagh (Collegeland) lads and the slagging is good craic. Please God, we can win.'
CBC
21-02-2025
- General
- CBC
A cat named Tigger just one of the pets helped by expanded N.B. SPCA program
The New Brunswick SPCA will now help cover emergency vet bills and unexpected procedures for low-income pet owners, thanks to an expansion of its Happy Tails Fund. The program already helps cover spay and neuter procedures, rabies vaccinations, core vaccines and parasite prevention. Until this change, pet owners were required to either surrender their pets, delay needed medical care or have their pet euthanized when faced with emergency vet bills they could not afford, according to the SPCA website. And that was almost the reality for the owners of a cat named Tigger. Lesley Rogers, executive director of the New Brunswick SPCA, said one of its officers was called to an emergency veterinary clinic to retrieve the tabby cat because his owners could not afford a surgery that he required. "The owner had run out of funds. They had paid for the diagnostics and Tigger needed surgery and they wanted to make sure — because they loved their cat very much — that he got that surgery," told CBC Radio's Shift. The owner voluntarily surrendered Tigger to the SPCA so it could approve and pay for the cat's surgery. Rogers said the usual procedure would be to take Tigger to an animal shelter so he could be re-homed. That didn't sit right with the officer who retrieved the cat because he knew the pet already had a good home, Rogers said. He asked if there was any way the cat could be given back to his original owner as long as he made sure the home was suitable. "I said absolutely," she said. "So, there was a very tear-filled reunion when the officer brought Tigger home to his family." Rogers said Tigger is not alone — it's a frequent occurrence that owners aren't able to pay for sudden vet bills. "We hear stories about that all of the time where people are like, 'I'm scared to go to the vet,' and we want to alleviate that," she said. The aim of the program is two-fold: support pet owners in these unexpected moments of crisis and take preventive measures to reduce the number of unwanted pets. The spay and neuter program has helped more than 250 families so far, and Rogers said the goal is to double that number this year. "We're very grateful to have a partnership with the 12 veterinary clinics across the province to do that," she said. Since the Happy Tails program officially launched, Rogers said the SPCA is receiving about 10 to 12 emails a day from people in need of support. Rogers said funding from the provincial government has been set aside for the program, as well as a charitable donation from June Hooper, who was a well-known dog trainer and animal lover in Fredericton. The goal is to raise $100,000 dollars for the program this year.
