Prevention is better than Cure

Walt: respond to the presentation given by the Public Health Dept..

This morning we went to a special assembly. It was all about rheumatic fever. Special guests came to our school, Awen Guttenbeil, a few Warriors League team players and nurses like Elizabeth and Kristy. They were all here to tell us about how to prevent rheumatic fever than to cure it.

Rheumatic Fever starts with a sore throat.  The nurses and Dr Alison Leversha that planned this whole thing explained what is rheumatic fever and how you can stop it from happening. Nurses do something very simple to see if you have Rheumatic Fever and they take a swab of your throat.

The Vodafone Warriors helped by doing the swab test. That was very funny and very convincing too. Even the Warriors were telling us kids to tell our parents, doctor or even a public school health nurse. It’s as simple as that.

Awen Guttenbeil told me personally about his experience with rheumatic fever. One day he was lying in bed and he said he couldn't move. He felt paralysed. It was hard for him to walk. That has also happened to me once. I admired Awen because, he didn't let that affect his normal life. Awen took treatment for 10 years. Then finally he was back to normal.

I regret not telling my parents that I had a sore throat way back then. But  I have been  receiving treatment for 10 years and I do what other normal 12 or 13 year old do too.