Eyes on recovery after student idea |
 Eyes have it:Year 10 Myrtleford P12 health students Megan Harris, Nikeisha Peacock and Callum Crisp with Mariam Hassan, who is holding up an information postcard she designed and had printed with the help of the Lions Club of Myrtleford. Mariam chose depression as a topic for a health project after seeing someone close to her suffer from the disease. Information postcard contains top information "FEELINGS can be controlled but the eyes never lie." Mariam Hassan hopes her message to people suffering from depression strikes a chord and she can help lives get back on track. The Myrtleford P12 student has seen the devastating effects the disease can wield, watching on as someone close to her succumbed to the debilitating affliction. Therefore she had no hesitation in choosing depression, which now plagues a portion of society, for an important health project topic. The year 10 student came up with a unique design for an information postcard, using a photo of her eye as the standout feature on the front, along with a touching quote she wrote herself. "Feelings are expressed through the eyes," Mariam said. "I wanted to do a good thing and hopefully people who are depressed can get some help from it. "There are so many depressed people out there." Contact information for support groups Beyond Blue and the Kids Helpline is contained on the postcard. Mariam said if people were feeling depressed, they should act and not let problems linger and fester. "If you need help, you should try and get it as soon as possible," she said. Ovens and King Community Health Service community health nurse, Kerrie Connor, said the postcard would catch the attention of the intended market and had been a worthwhile project. "A young person has developed it, so it will catch the attention of other young people," Ms Connor said. "Depression is an issue in the younger age groups and producing something like this will have a ripple effect through the school community. "It’s great to see health literacy is improving and teens are looking at the health issues facing their age group." Myrtleford P12 health teacher, Inga Hanover, said the students were engaged with the project and pleased with the outcomes. "The point of the project was for the students to identify a health issue in the community which is important to them," she said. Ms Hanover said there was also the notion of the kids being able to give something back to the community and she hopes Mariam’s postcard becomes widely distributed beyond health centres, where the postcard is now available. Another project is planned for later this year revolving around music and memory for elderly. Ms Hanover is hoping for donations of disused iPods still in working order for the project to go ahead. Anyone who would like to donate an iPod can contact Myrtleford P12 College on 5752 1011. |
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