Sere finds his calling
HE is confined to a power chair and he has difficulties talking but Sere Treloggen will tell you he is one of the lucky ones.
The National Disability Awards finalist has the kind of determination that many would dream of, and he is not afraid to bare his soul if it means raising awareness about living with disabilities.
Mr Treloggen, 18, has cerebral palsy.
But the condition has not stopped him completing high school at Tully or speaking out in front of crowds of hundreds.
Former teachers say they could have heard a pin drop when Mr Treloggen presented his first power-point display on living with cerebral palsy to fellow teenagers.
"He got up on parade in front of the whole school … and there was dead silence while he was presenting," Tully State High School special education head Kayte Gillinder recalled yesterday.
"Then there were tears (in the crowd).
"He’s been an inspiration to us all, and he’s changed a lot of students’ opinions of people with disabilities."
Mr Treloggen is working on greater awareness – one person at a time. "Sometimes I have bad days and sometimes I have good days … like ordinary people," he said.
"I like to travel around meeting people. I believe I’m here for a reason … we all are …and I think I’ve found what the reason is for me — to help other disabled people."
Mr Treloggen is one of 15 finalists in the National Disability Awards.
He has been shortlisted for the Disability Rights Young Leader category.
The Torres Strait Islander, who moved to Tully with his uncle and aunt 10 years ago, has delivered speeches at a series of primary schools.
"I get goose bumps just thinking about it (award) … we don’t see the disability, we see the boy," aunt and carer Gloria Jefferies said.
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He's a winner: Sere Treloggen celebrates being one of three national finalists for the Disability Rights Young Leader Award with his aunt and carer Gloria Jefferies. Picture: MIKE WATT
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