Tathra Lions' donation helping patients get back on their feet

Last week the ladies of the Lions Club visited the sub-acute rehabilitation unit of South East Regional Hospital with four walkers to donate.

Surprisingly, the rehab unit only had a single walker for recovering patients to use. Nurse unit manager Wendy Kelland said nurses had to fight over it a bit to claim it for their patient.

"It's amazing to have four more," Ms Kelland said.

"We can show people how to use them correctly and get people home quicker."

Ms Kelland said with five walkers now there may be an opportunity for one of them to be lent out to patients until they were able to purchase their own.

"It's nice to be thought about - we sometimes feel like we're forgotten about here downstairs."

Rex Kermode of the Lions said the idea for the donation came about after a person close to the club had to have a leg amputated and then discovered there was only the one walker for the whole unit.

"He had to buy his own to be able to take one home.

"So we approached the sub acute rehab unit and asked if they could use more.

"We were able to source four."

Mr Kermode said the Lions Club's women members were behind the fundraising and purchase of the "rather pricey" walkers.

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