WA NDIS My Way personal story: MR AND MRS JUNOR
Speakers:
Mark Junor
Melissa Junor
Lynne Junor, Mark’s mother
Valerie Mansfield, My Way Coordinator
Melissa Junor: Yes, we were dancing together
Mark Junor: Yes, first we went dancing then I met Mel in 1996. It was right after ….
Melissa Junor: It was right after you played hide and seek with me
Mark Junor: Yeah I do. I tickled her and that kind of stuff. And we said we were going to get married.
Mark Junor: Mel chose the ring for me and I gave her one as well.
Lynne Junor: Mark came to me and said he would really like to marry Melissa. I said if you want to do that, you’ve got to do the right thing, save up and buy her an engagement ring. And he did.
You chose your rings didn’t you? (to Melissa)
Mark Junor: My mum made the dress for her on our wedding day and I wasn’t allowed to see it, but I did see it.
(Lots of laughing in the background)
Lynne Junor: Our aim was to get Mark and Melissa to be as independent of us as we possibly could, because we’re not getting any younger of course. And we just feel that life is about having choices, they have a right to have choices and to get as much out of life as possible for them.
Valerie Mansfield: Working with Mel and Mark has been fantastic and their parents, Lynn and Gordon…. And it has been a story about trying to find out what the married couples dream was but also finding ways to make that happen for them.
Mark Junor: We watch Home and Away a lot, Star Wars and a few other things like that. Doctor Who is really good and I watch it and every time I like. Mel won’t let me watch it.
Melissa Junor: Only sometimes….
(Laughter)
Valerie Mansfield: Melissa has a plan and Mark has a plan but they don’t have a plan between them. It is still individualised to meet their needs. We decided early on that was important.
Lynne Junor: It looks after the individual instead of creating an overall thing that most people would be able to meet some but not all of the things. It is centred around them particularly so they have their own particular plan for their situation and their capabilities. And each of the people that are on it have a plan that is geared to them.
Valerie Mansfield: The My Way plan encourages people to be focused on what interests them rather than trying to fit into what might be convenient for other people. With The Men’s Shed Mark keeps everybody in line and makes sure the men are doing what they are supposed to be doing.
Men’s Shed participant: I think he indicates to us that people with disabilities, if that is the correct word, can still perform and do things and lift themselves to another level. And he is extremely good at doing that and we love seeing him here because we know that he enjoys it and that is probably the greatest advantage for all of us.
Mark Junor: Woodwork before at school and doing it again in the Men’s Shed.
Valerie Mansfield: I think the My Way plan is giving the guys a great life, like a good life in the community. But I also hope that Lynn and Gordon are doing less of the work. Because that was part of the plan as well, so that they get to enjoy being parents and parents-in-law rather than taking on that carer role, so that Mark and Melissa can feel like they are the adults and the married couple that they are.
Lynne Junor: One of the worst things when you have a child with a disability is you always wonder what’s going to happen down the track and you know there are some things we don’t have control over. So we have to put things in place to manage the ‘what might be’ in the best way that we can and the plan has worked extremely well for that.
Valerie Mansfield: It’s fun working with Mark and Mel. It’s fun because you see the tremendous achievements that they’ve made over the years and they’ve just got stronger. Mark and Melissa know best about what they want and what they want to do, even if you might think … hmmmmm…. they are pretty much right all the time.
Lynne Junor: You know it takes a whole heap of ‘what if’ off your mind as parents, you know. I know I talk to other parents who have children with disabilities and it’s this constant thing that hangs over us all the time, ‘what happens when we are not around, what happens if something happens ‘. Now I am comfortable, like I’m not sort of over concerned about these things because they will be OK. Because everything is in place, that life will continue for them in the way that they understand, they know and are happy with.