“I Didn’t Know Help Like That Was Out There”
Life can change in an instant. For a hardworking oyster fisherman from Bluff, a simple misstep after a long day on the water led to a painful shoulder injury, months of uncertainty, and one of the toughest chapters of his life. What followed was a battle - not just with physical pain, but with grief, and the struggle to be heard.
My accident happened last June after a long day oystering. We’d just come in from a rough one - big day, hard work - and we were all in a rush to get packed up and gone. I was unloading the boat, spun around to see if my mate was coming, and that’s when I tripped. I landed hard on my shoulder.
I knew straight away something wasn’t right. I couldn’t lift my arm. It wasn’t just a tweak or a bruise, it felt serious. I made an appointment at the Bluff Medical Centre, and the doctor referred it to ACC.
But then, just before Christmas, ACC declined my claim. They said it was a sprain. That it was just “wear and tear” - old age, basically. But I knew what had happened. It was the fall. And it wasn’t just a sprain.
I’ve worked my whole life in tough jobs - fishing, freezing works, you name it. I know the difference between an old ache and a real injury. This was real. I tried physio, but it only made things worse. My doctor pushed it through to ACC again, and again, they turned me down.
Around that time, I met Stacy Poutasi, a health coach from Ngā Kete. She was working out of the Bluff Medical Centre. She was brilliant, really listened, and referred me to the Ngā Kete ACC Navigation team. That’s when things finally started to turn around.
Bob from Ngā Kete took on my case and saw it right through to the end. He handled all the paperwork, spoke the language I didn’t know how to speak, and understood the system inside out. He was calm, steady, and just a massive support. Without him, I wouldn’t have won. It’s as simple as that. Because of Bob, I finally got ACC cover.
By this stage, the insurance company had already paid for my surgery, but Bob has helped with ensuring ACC will reimburse them.
Turns out, it was a full rotator cuff tear. The fall had ripped it. The pain was intense, and it stopped me from doing even the simplest things like hanging out washing, mowing the lawns, getting dressed. My whole life was affected.
And I was doing it all alone. My wife passed away in November, just a few months after my injury. She had lung cancer. She had three really hard months, and then she was gone. I was grieving, in pain, and then ACC turned me down. That was the lowest point of my life.
I’m still grieving, but things are getting better with my shoulder now. The surgery helped, I’m healing, and when I’m ready, I plan to go back to work. I still have my job as an oyster fisherman. I love the sea - it keeps you fit, and I’ve always felt at home out there.
What surprised me the most was the support. I didn’t realise how much help was actually out there. Bluff Medical Centre looked after me. Ngā Kete stood by me. And Bob, well he changed everything.
I didn’t know help like that was out there. But it is. And I’m living proof that it can change everything.
