Jan 2000 - Millennium Message

June 2000 - New address for Trust

June 2000 - Clarence is feature in The War Cry

Sept 2000 - 40th Birthday Party

Dec 2000 - Compere's Handbook

Dec 2000 - Miami Visit no. 2

January 2000 - Millennium Message

Greetings and best wishes for the new Millennium from Clarence

HEN I was at school I undertook a project in which I was asked to imagine what the world would be like in the year 2000 — what style and type of house we would be living in, what type of clothes we would be wearing and so on. Ironically my house predictions were fairly accurate as now most of my adaptions are completed, I have automatic doors and lights, a hi-fi and computer system which come to life at a simple voice command etc. As for clothes, I think the fashion has reverted back to my school days!

This year has whizzed by, leaving me at times on the pavement watching life blaze by as I try to accept the fact that I can not do everything a speedily as I once use to.

My family have all kept well this year despite my foster mother [Vera] who at 91 years of age still bashes herself by occasionally tripping up at home and colliding with the furniture with the intention of saving the carpet from a few drops of tea.

I am keeping fit and well, since February, which saw me go down with a chest infection resulting in two weeks in hospital having my chest jumped upon three times a day by 3 physiotherapists. Some clouds do have silver linings! This ritual would take place normally directly after meal times.

At the end of April I returned from America from a highly motivating visit to a clinic in Miami. This trip highlighted areas of my body that showed potential for some recovery, (this being the left arm and the top of the back). Extra physio is developing my back and shoulder muscles and left arm which I can now use to nudge and prod cheeky carers. I am currently planning to return to Miami Novemberish 2000 for further treatment and to see if other areas of my body have improved.

I have not tried blowing a trumpet recently since having some voice training sessions to strengthen my diaphragm or should I say my intercostal stomach muscles. My job title with the Northern Sinfonia in Newcastle is Education Animateur. This means bringing the music of the orchestra to life in the community. It is proving to be a stimulating job, allowing me to create and lead projects in all the different areas of the community. Privately I still teach at home. Freelance work has included writing the odd snippets of music, sitting on a panel for BBC young musician of the year, reviewing CDs, coaching brass groups, examining, presenting and adjudicating etc. I serve on several Arts Council Committees involving Education and Disabled people in the Arts, which has improved my awareness of other disabilities as well as my own and had me writing reports on the new disabled facilities of the revamped Covent Garden opera house.

Emma Forbes who was involved in the accident with me is still fit and well and has moved to Edinburgh to take up a full time post working in the marketing and press department for the Edinburgh International festival.

I would like to thank you most sincerely for your support, encouragement and friendship during this past year which has been a great source of inspiration and motivation to me.

Have an enjoyable and blessed 2000

Clarence Adoo

June 2000

Clarence Adoo Trust moves to new address

The new details are:

The Clarence Adoo Trust
4 Doncella Close
Chafford Hundred
Essex
RM16 6HB

Tel: 01375 481114

Clarence in The War Cry

September 2000

40th Birthday Party

On 25th August Clarence reached the big 4 - 0! On Sept 2nd he had a party at a London pizza restaurant. Clarence was in fine spirits (as always!) and showed off how high he could now lift his left arm due to the physiotherapy he has been doing. He said "at the next big party I'LL be cutting the pizza". I for one am looking forward to that party.
I took some pictures which can be seen here.
(Brian)

December 2000

The Compère's Handbook

Compère Peter Hammerton has been the front man for Rayleigh Brass for thirty years. He even won an award for compèring. Now he has decided to share his tricks and secrets and some of his jokes. He has published The Compère's Handbook. This book is a must for the aspiring compère and a good read for any enthusiastic musician. And if you don't like it you won't have wasted your money. As Peter says, it's just the right thickness for stabilising a wobbly table!

The best bit is Peter is sharing his profits with Clarence. More details and ordering information are here: http://www.briannichols.net/handbook

December 2000

Miami visit No 2

Hello! I am well and have been keeping fit, and busy.

After 3 weeks in Miami, Florida in October where the weather men tell you that 76º Fahrenheit is a little chilly. I find myself back in reality with temperatures of 40º F downwards and too worried about exposing my electric chair to permanent lashes of rain.

The journey to Miami went very smoothly helped along by British Airways upgrade from the £450 standard class to the £3,000 business class seats. I was treated like an important person until we arrived in Miami when the primitive lifting of 4 guys carried me back to my wheelchair. The chair looked as if it had missed me during the 9-hour flight.

Two nights and one day was all I had to turn myself around before my first visit back to the clinic. The first session of 5 that week was important because I only had 40 minutes with the physio to measure on computer my last 18 months progress before the doctor dictated the programme of work for the coming 3 weeks.

During my clinic visits a computer would analyse the strength of my brain signals to certain muscles. If a signal had made a pathway from the brain to the appropriate muscle, this meant that the spinal chord damage (to the cells) were either repairing or re-routing. After muscle stimulation and vigorous physio for muscle building for several months on returning to England, the Americans quite rightly, expect to see some controlled movements starting to happen.

From my previous trip it was discovered that the left arm was receiving strong enough signals from the brain, which consequently has led to fairly good strength and mobility - possibly 35% of its normal strength. This left side now is starting to show brain signals to the left wrist and hopefully later to the fingers.

My right arm, which has not shown much promise before now, is registering stronger signals from the brain. My back/ shoulder muscle just below my neck injury is registering signals from the brain as strong as 80% of normal.

In general my body has improved a very positive amount in the last 18 months and is still after 5 years wanting to heal itself and working very hard at doing so, slowly gaining feeling and mobility from the top downwards.

This news is again very positive and encouraging and so it falls upon me to continue to put these theories into action with the necessary physio.

Another upgrade from British Airways flew me safely away from the 80º F of the American Presidential elections of the USA to the October Christmas tree at Heathrow airport and the fuel crisis in the flooded state of England

Its nearly always good to be back.

Thank you again for your interest, encouragement and support enabling me to take advantage of these incredible facilities the other side of the world.

Clarence

Editor's comment: remember the doctors would not sanction physiotherpay when Clarence was discharged from hospital because they said it would achieve nothing. Clarence's determination and the financial support of friends for private physio sessions and the trips to Miami have made the impossible possible. Praise God for the miracle we see unfolding before us.