Vaotane “Va’a” Filemoni, has represented New Zealand in disability rugby league and is a ballroom dancer.
Vaotane “Va’a” Filemoni, has represented New Zealand in disability rugby league and is a ballroom dancer.
A national register shows there are slightly higher rates of cerebral palsy in Māori and Pacific people in New Zealand.
October is Be Green & Be Seen month, when the Cerebral Palsy Society of NZ raises awareness and funds to support Kiwis living with cerebral palsy - a physical disability that affects movement and posture.
Today is also known as World Cerebral Palsy Day.
The term refers to a group of disorders that affect a person’s body movement, reflex, posture, balance and muscle control and co-ordination.
There are 1416 people on the NZ Cerebral Palsy Register, Te Rēhita a Hōkai Nukurangi Aotearoa.
Cerebral Palsy Society of NZ general manager Clare Williams said the exact number of Pasifika people with cerebral palsy in New Zealand is unknown. But they are working to understand more about those figures.
“The Cerebral Palsy Society is working with the NZ Cerebral Palsy Register to gather more data in this area.”
Vaotane (Va) Filemoni wants to see a change in attitude toward people with disabilities in Pasifika communities.
Williams said many Pacific people with cerebral palsy face other barriers, including language barriers that then affect their access to particular services.
“(It) makes accessing services, resources, funding, and health care difficult - not having specific cerebral palsy-related information available in a variety of Pacific languages is a barrier.”
Williams says this leads to people missing out on support and benefits provided by the Society and New Zealand healthcare in general.
‘Stop seeing us as a pity’
One young woman living with cerebral palsy and left hemiplegia (paralysis) is Vaotane Filemoni - known to friends and family as Va.
The condition has an impact on her balance and motor skills. But that does not stop her from giving many things a go.
The 32-year-old is a teacher aide in South Auckland and enjoys sports and dancing. She has represented New Zealand in disability rugby league and is also a talented ballroom dancer.
Filemoni acknowledged there is a stigma around people with disabilities in Pacific communities and hopes that will change. She called on people to be more open-minded.
“People with disabilities do have dreams,” she said.
“Stop seeing us as a pity or putting us in a box - because people with disabilities all have their potential. They can reach whatever they want in their lives and it’s in their own unique way.”
In 2016, she played in a mixed team as part of New Zealand’s original Disability Rugby League team.
It was the year when the team was just getting started and looking for new players.
“My emotions were excited and nervous because, at the time, I was only one of a few women who played the sport.
“One of my fondest memories of playing a game was when I went to tackle someone and just to hear the crowd go: ‘Oooh’ or in shock.”
After a car accident two years later, Filemoni switched to ballroom dancing to recover and said her body was no longer the same. She wanted something fresh and new to start her physical recovery.
“What I love about learning ballroom dancing is that you learn a lot about your own body and building confidence in yourself - especially when I can overcome the physical barriers that arise for me while learning a dance.
“I also like to challenge myself and to see how far I can push my limit - physically and mentally.”
Filemoni hails from Samoa and has links to the villages of Fagaloa, Satupa’itea and Vaiala.
Filemoni says she wants to pay it forward and help the organisation that has supported her. She hopes to help them in order to continue the support for fellow members.
“It’s okay to be a magnificent person and be willing to stand out to be different.”
