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Welcome to our Tell it Well stories from people living in the Murrumbidgee.

Sharing stories is part of everyday life. We have done it for centuries –
imparting knowledge, sharing experiences and lessons, or relaying tales of hardship and triumph.

Our Tell it Well stories aim to support people living the Murrumbidgee by letting them know they are not alone on their journey. Provide tips, hints and tricks for improving health and wellbeing generally, and specific details of where to go for more help. 

These stories aim to inspire those people by offering practical tips to support their mental health and wellbeing and foster resilience.

 We would like to thank each of our storytellers for their contribution to helping improve the health of their local communities.

 
“The best conversations I’ve had with other men are leaning on the back of a ute, looking at what’s out and around you. I think if you want to talk to a man, you get shoulder to shoulder.”
 
 
 
 
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“At the moment, I’m in a great place. I have a wonderful partner and family, and a great support system. But mental health is something I’ll manage for the rest of my life. For me, it’s just an illness I manage day-to-day. I know there are going to be times when I feel down, and I need to recognise the signs and amp up my self-care and ask for help if I need. ”
 
 
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Find your tribe; raise your voice

Using his voice is something Kane Stewart is determined to do.

As a member of the 2022 Regional Youth Taskforce, Kane represents young people from the Riverina Murray and provides advice directly to the Minister for Regional Youth on issues that matter to regional young people.

Coming full circle: Living and working with mental illness

At MyStep, Spencer works in conjunction with therapists to provide support to people living with mental illness.

In July 2022, Spencer McGill won the Enriching Consumer Experience Award at the Murrumbidgee Local Health District Awards for his work as a Peer Support Worker with MyStep to Mental Wellbeing (MyStep) in Deniliquin. It’s an honour that took him by surprise, but it turns out being a Peer Support Worker is a role he’s been preparing for all his life.

 
 
“Once you’ve served, you can never go back to being a civilian. The things you experienced are things most civilians don’t see.”
 
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Community the key to bushfire recovery

Debbie Gadd was unprepared for the intensity of the 2020 bushfires…

As Pastor and Chaplain, Debbie knew the road to recovery would be community connection, and while COVID-19 may have made that challenging, it didn’t keep her from making sure everyone felt the support on offer.

Peter’s new ideas for staying connected

Peter McCallum might be retired but he’s never been busier.

For him, that’s the key to keeping the blues at bay.

“Once they retire, a lot of people stay at home and vegetate. But you’ve got to keep going.

 
“He was standing over me and, at that time, it felt like the safest option was to come out as bisexual. He said, ‘Well, if you turn full gay, I’ll put you in hospital’.”
 
 
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COVID-19: Regional GPs fight the good fight

The COVID-19 global pandemic has meant a lot of changes for workers the world over, none more so than those in healthcare.

The general practitioners, practice nurses and administration staff of two Murrumbidgee general practices have accepted their role in the fight against the coronavirus like soldiers going to battle.

In fact, that’s exactly the mentality Dr Thevashangar (Theva) Vasuthevan adopted when his practice – Your Health Griffith – took on a Commonwealth-funded contract to run a COVID-19 testing and respiratory clinic.

 

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A life of courage and coping

For many people, it’s hard to image what it’s like to live in a refugee camp. It’s even harder to imagine life in a war zone.

But for Constance Okot, war was the backdrop to her childhood and she spent more than a decade in an overcrowded and prison-like refugee camp in Kenya.

Constance has experienced and witnessed unspeakable acts and survived against the odds. Her inspiring resilience and courage have helped her face the ongoing emotional and mental health issues she still battles 15 years after finding refuge in Wagga Wagga.

“I always wanted an exciting career and I always wanted a bit of an adventure. When I was growing up, I thought that had to be outside of Australia but by doing med school and getting the chance to do lots of rural rotations, I realised it could be within Australia. There’s just so many different lifestyles that you can have when you work in the country.”
 
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Aaron’s pathway into recovery

When Aaron Corcoran’s 15-year-old daughter takes an interest in his studies to become an AOD (Alcohol and Other Drugs) counsellor, he’s quick to share what he’s learning.

“I tell her that she can come to me and talk to me about anything and everything. She'll question me about things and I'm open and honest with her about the stuff I went through. I tell her about my experience with addiction –the friends that I lost. I try to teach her to identify the problems she faces and to talk to me.”

Olivia’s foundation of support

When Olivia Mullan talks about her five-year-old son, William, her eyes light up.

“He's the most amazing thing I've ever done. He's a ball of energy. He's smart, he's caring. He's creative and he loves doing things like Lego and playing. He's happiest being outside; running, jumping, riding his bike, scootering.”

 
“You think things are a lot bigger than what they are but having someone there to just tell you that everything’s going to be okay is really good.”
— Charlee Masters
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Benefits of being active are many

Ginny Stevens is the driving force behind Active Farmers.

Growing up on a farm in Tasmania and now living on a farm at Mangoplah, 30kms south of Wagga Wagga, with her husband Andy Ginny knows better than most the challenges farmers face in staying fit and well.

Impact beyond the farm

Growing up on a farm, Michael Gooden knows what it’s like when things get tough on the land.

Seeing paddocks at his family farm being blown away by wind during the Millennium drought, Michael realised he needed to find new ways of managing the land.

 
 
“During times like this, the mettle and measure of society gets tested, but we are seeing many examples of people coming together to help and support each other – donations, drought relief initiatives, the Hay Runners – and I think the most important thing is that we encourage people to reach out to their neighbours and family and friends, because they’re not alone.”
— Graeme Kruger
 
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Health of the people; health of the land

In his line of work, Greg Packer travels the region extensively.

Greg is Senior Land Service Officer /Aboriginal Communities with Riverina Local Land Services (LLS). It is his job to engage with Aboriginal communities, conducting cultural site assessments on farming properties and to provide advice to his LLS colleagues.

The power of positive

“We know that everybody will experience grief, sadness, devastation at some point. No one escapes it. It's how quickly you can recover that's so important.”

Katrina Myers is happy to talk candidly about her experiences with loss, anxiety and the importance of taking care of her wellbeing.

 
“If you’re feeling a bit down, go and fix the worst set of gates on the farm. It’s one thing you can do to get your mind off the dry times and give you the satisfaction of getting those gates in order and swinging properly.”
— Ross Edwards
 
 
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Recognising the signs

Dr Khaled Bardawil is on the frontlines of community health.

For the past 12 years, Khaled has been the GP in Lake Cargelligo, a town of about 1500 people located in Central West NSW. During this time, he has seen his community effected by population decline, economic downturn and weather events such as drought.

More than a handshake

John Harper is an animated man, but when he starts talking about the wellbeing of regional Australians, his energy is contagious.

The retired farmer and shearer from Stockinbingal is a passionate advocate for mental health and the powerhouse behind Mate helping Mate, a self-help program to address depression in rural communities.

“The drought is difficult. It’s impacting us in the way of not knowing what crops to plant, knowing when to buy water. Water is just such a huge issue. It’s the main issue. It controls everything. It’s really stressful not being able to actually just do your job and farm and grow food.”
— Julie Andreazza

 

 
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