Ban, Liz: - Liz is the youngest of four siblings taken into a State-run children's home at the age of three. It was there she learned the skills of resilience and independence which has helped her throughout her life. This independence led Liz to travel the world leaving behind her childhood experiences. She spent a year in New Zealand, six months traveling throughout South-East-Asia, two years hitch-hiking and living in Europe, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, and Morocco, and two months in Peru, Bolivia, and Chilli. With her degree in Social Work and further studies in Counselling Liz worked in child protection, fostering, adoption, and counseled refugees, families, individuals, and couples. She married a fellow keen explorer and together they traveled the world and lived in Oxford, UK, and Tripoli, Libya with their two children. After a happy, adventurous, and loving marriage, Liz's resilience helped her deal with the loss of her soul mate of thirty years to cancer. Music and dancing have been instrumental in the grieving process. Liz enjoys camping with friends, watching the sunset over the Indian ocean, and a couple of cool ales to go with her fish tacos at her favourite spot.Wilson, Helena: - Helena Wilson has a raw honesty gained by resilience, strength, and leadership skills growing up in the sixties and seventies as a State Ward in Queensland. She was born into a humble household of immigrant parents. Circumstances led her and her siblings to be placed into the care of the State until they attained the age of 18 years. Her many friends and extended family describe her as smart, dynamic, warm, honest, forthright, loyal, generous, fun-loving, and positive. She was born with the ability to see and make the best of circumstances. Helena is a risk-taker especially if it involves a bit of fun. Helena has experienced a wide gamut of life both professionally and personally. Her travels have seen her connect with her relatives in Hungary and to live with her husband and children in Papua New Guinea where she embraced the lifestyle, volunteered in local schools, communities, and charities. She has managed a boarding house for high school students, taught English and Business Office procedures, and organised several business forums and events in Papua New Guinea as Corporate Services Manager of the Australia PNG Business Council. Her 27-year relationship with the 'land of the unexpected' and its people has left its mark in her heart forever. Her biggest achievement is being a devoted wife of 44 years, dedicated mother to three loving sons, and a grandmother to an adorable boy. Helena initiated the writing of her family memoir, wrote many drafts, and researched government files. She feels everyone has a story worth telling and has great pleasure in being able to share hers. She now lives in what she calls paradise on the Sunshine Coast with her husband, golden Labrador, and a cat.Ban, Paul: - Paul is best described as a mountain goat, consistent with his star sign, looking forever upward and onward to reach his goals. The experience of being in care was just one stage in his life journey that began living in a family environment before having it turned upside down after the death of his mother and the mental health issues affecting his father. He knew he had to make the best of life himself, as there were no real supports. The way to independence and a good life was through education and a professional career combined with the excellent choice of a life partner at an early age. The addition of a very smart daughter and a beautiful grandson has led him back to the family life from where he started. His professional career has led to three Masters's degrees and providing training in working with extended families around the world. As well as achieving goals academically and professionally, Paul has run thirty-six marathons, including three ultra-marathons in South Africa, and competed in approximately forty triathlons, including three half ironman triathlons. After realising many people who had grown up in the care system had unhappy and damaging experiences, Paul wanted to document his own story of happy memories rather than bleak ones. The piecing together of Offla's story with Helena and Liz has revealed individual stories of the disruption and rebuilding of family life. As a result, Paul has a greater appreciation of the uniqueness of human experience even though he and his siblings had the same parents and lived in the same children's home.
