Driving a better lifestyle

Caryl Coleman has overcome losing her husband and being diagnosed with a degenerative illness in the same year to continue to enjoy the active, independent and social lifestyle she enjoys.

Soon after the sad passing of her husband, Caryl was diagnosed with Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD), a rare condition in which areas of your brain shrink and your nerve cells degenerate.

CBD causes gradually worsening problems with movement, speech, balance and memory. She also had to figure out how to afford transport to the medical services she needed, but these problems were solved thanks to the Care Car service.

Funded by the Southern Cross Care Community Foundation, it provides affordable, safe, and age-friendly transport to clients for all their local transport needs, including trips to and from our Health & Wellness Centres, GP appointments, shopping trips and visits with family and friends.

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Caryl now takes two Care Car trips per week to The Pines Health & Wellness Centre where our compassionate and capable staff provide physical therapies to help her manage and reduce the impact of her CBD symptoms.

“...I thought, how the hell am I going to get here? Taxis are going to be expensive twice a week and then I found out about the Care Car, and that was brilliant,” Caryl said.

“I love the Care Car, I really do…(and) if it wasn’t for The Pines and the work I do there, I probably wouldn’t be here - and that is the absolute gospel truth.

“It’s lovely to not have to worry about whether I can still go to the gym because the Care Car is going to take me, and I’m so terribly thankful that I can use this service - and long may it continue.”

With three cars now on the road 5 days per week and friendly volunteer drivers at the wheel, the service now provides close to 8,000 individual rides each year.

Help support the great work of our Community Foundation by donating to our Christmas Appeal.