Top award for helpful printer

Printer and publisher Ocean Reeve has won a national business award for helping an aspiring author tell her personal story about her son's brain damage.

Mr Reeve is the client manager for Publish Me Print & Publish, a division of New Plymouth company, Zenith Publishing Group. Publish Me supports authors through the writing, self- publishing and distribution process.

A Motueka author, Ann Kidd, nominated Mr Reeve for his support of her as she wrote a sensitive and personal account of her journey as mother of son, Jamie, who was brain damaged in a car accident in 1998 when he was 21. The book, You're a Dick, Mummy was released last month.

Mrs Kidd says as a first-time author dealing with the most tragic event of her life, Mr Reeve helped her work through the process of writing a frank and honest account.

"When I was ready to can it, he gently guided me forward. He propped me up when I needed it and let me believe in myself, and gave me the confidence to see the job completed. Hell, he was better and cheaper than a psychologist," she said.

Mr Reeve, 34, has worked for Publish Me for six years. He is the first Taranaki resident to win one of the awards.

He says he is over the moon about winning the MYOB Awesome Service Award.

"I get great pleasure from helping people like Ann find their voices as authors. Writing about a personal tragedy like this can benefit both the story teller and others going through similar tragedies."

MYOB Awesome Service Award winners are nominated by people impressed by the service of individuals in business. Auckland Chamber of Commerce chief executive, Michael Barnett, judges the nominations on behalf of all chambers in New Zealand.

Meanwhile Mrs Kidd says Jamie, a carpenter and keen cyclist who was in the national under-23 cycling team and was to represent New Zealand at the Olympics, was told after his accident that he would never pick up a hammer or ride again.

"Thankfully he has proven them wrong on both counts. He is now working two days a week for a Blenheim builder, Robinson Construction, and is in an elite squad training for the 2012 Paralympics being held in London," she said.

The awards are supported by MYOB, Newstalk ZB, Fairfax Media, Michael Hill International, Hewlett Packard and the ASB.

- © Fairfax NZ News