OUR VERY OWN SUPERHERO IS ON A MISSION
Struck down by a debilitating illness the former Proudest Gold Coaster has taken to drawing cartoons in a bid to lift the spirits of others who are doing it tough
MANY moons ago, this newspaper ran a competition to establish the Gold Coast’s proudest citizens, those who made this city such a great place to live, work and play.
It was the brainchild of former Bulletin managing director Roy Miller and his partner in crime, editor in chief Bob Gordon.
As the then chief reporter for the paper, it was my task to sift through the entries and come up with finalists, and then Rocky and Bob would decide the winners.
There was one nomination that stood out. His name was Michael Towers, a proud Gold Coaster in every sense of the world.
He was a breath of fresh air, delightful to deal with, and a man who was going places with his positivity and love of the city.
Last week, I found out that Michael is in the fight of his life, cruelly struck down with a condition that has destroyed his ability to walk and work.
His beautiful wife Esther has had to give up work to care for him. A simple trip to the beach is now planned with military-like precision.
You can’t help but be moved – even inspired – by the story of courage under fire like that of Michael Towers.
Seven years ago, Michael was fit and healthy. He was working at Myer, standing 10 hours a day and loved to hike at the weekend with Esther.
After contracting a horrendous virus, Michael developed severe myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome.
He lost the ability to walk, to sit up, speak, feed himself, and became totally bedridden and partially paralysed.
It was 2015. He was 37, and while working, he began to feel severely fatigued. He was diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis, and spent two months in hospital.
Bedridden, doctors were able to stabilise the condition after a year. But he still needs a wheelchair to get around and a carer.
“As I started being able to move, after being stuck in bed, it affected the brain, and I couldn’t really watch TV or read,’’ he said.
So Michael decided he’d start to draw comic strips to ease the boredom.
He’d never been a drawer but he hatched a plan for a superhero comic. The theme was that this superhero wanted to help people, but couldn’t do any rescues because he was bedridden.
There have been dark days but after five years of drawing, Michael has just had a book published of his comics.
“It kept me going in those dark days,’’ he said.
“It raised my spirits. Gave me something to do.’’
Michael doesn’t want or need sympathy. His condition is now permanent and he has accepted his fate and just does his best.
A good day is a bit of drawing, a trip to the beach with a carer for an hour, and then sleep. A bad day is not worth thinking about.
Michael has worked hard to get some form of stability back, and although still disabled and needing a wheelchair, he was able to reverse some of the paralysis and is now able to feed himself and talk again.
His comic is titled the Chronic Fatigue Superhero and it’s on Instagram
@cfssuperhero), and it has 12,000 followers. “It is my goal to tell my story and to get the book into the spotlight so that it reaches as many people as possible with this condition, to make them feel less alone and isolated,’’ he said. “I want to give them some humour and a smile.’’
When Michael Towers entered that Bulletin
competition 15 years ago, he accentuated why the Gold Coast was such a great place to live.
It’s now time for the Gold Coast to repay that pride and loyalty. If you see Michael about, say hi. If you really want to help him, buy the comic book or check it out on Instagram.
He truly is an inspiration.
I want to give them some humour and a smile
ON May 21 Australians from all walks of life, including many young first-time voters, voted for the Greens. On the Gold Coast the Greens attracted 27,000 votes, with a swing of nearly 5 per cent. Enough voters to fill beach bars across the Gold Coast. (Beaches: sport yes, bars no, GCB, June 14).
Green groups Gecko, Wildlife Queensland Gold Coast and Sally Spain, the former Greens candidate, seem unaware that their support base is drawn from a broad coalition of voters concerned at various levels of commitment about the environment, climate change, economic management, integrity in politics and an appropriate mechanism for managing the behaviour of our politicians in Canberra.
Unlike many who oppose selected commercial activities on selected beaches, I actually spent a lot of time having a few beers observing those attending the trial Kurrawa Beach Bar, talking to many patrons and they all had one thing in common: they loved being on the beach with their toes in the sand. Nobody mentioned to me any concerns about any impact to the beach or the environment.
Thousands were from the Gold Coast (many Greens voters no doubt) along with visitors to the city. If I extrapolate the number of locals versus visitors I met, the support for this venture is unequivocally high by those who spend money and support local businesses in the city.
In any society we will always have differences. One thing we all need to remember is sometimes we (myself included) have to give a little to gain a lot more in the longer term.
Just consider the issues that have been fought for on the Gold Coast and won, a long list indeed and congratulations to all who have the capacity for peaceful advocacy.
A simple question, is preventing commercial activities on beaches a high priority given other issues facing the Gold Coast, such as high-rise development, the proposed cableway on the doorstep of a World Heritage listed site, not to mention the cruise ship terminal is still alive and kicking hidden in the bottom draw to be revived when people are looking the other way? RICHARD HOLLIDAY, BENOWA
ONCE again, the $830m payout to exit the French submarines contract shows just how much poor decisions by our leaders cost the Australian taxpayer.
Reportedly the compensation was awarded because standard contract protocols weren’t followed in cancelling the deal. Missed contractual deadlines and schedule slippage would have allowed cancellation “on the basis of non-performance ”, at minimal cost to taxpayers. Instead they exercised a “termination for convenience” clause leaving us exposed to huge fees and penalties.
And when the former government led an attack on China to call for an investigation into the origins of coronavirus, what did it hope to achieve? Even if the failed investigation had exposed the source of the virus, it wouldn’t help control it. “Bulldozer” Morrison defended the call as “entirely reasonable and sensible”, yet the only result was the destruction of billions of dollars worth of trade with China.
These are by no means the only examples of failed decisions by governments of both sides, but the taxpayer is left to pay for the mess. But sadly we only get to show our outrage at the ballot box every three years. Political parties generally refuse to acknowledge their mistakes and do something themselves about their leadership, and arrogant party leaders don’t put the interests of the country before themselves and resign. But nothing will change unless the public demand it.
IAN TIMMINS, MERMAID BEACH