A new outlook

When a stroke hit Christchurch's David Ellison, it could have destroyed his quality of life. Instead, it's improved the lives of many others. JUNE PEKA reports.

When he woke feeling "odd" one morning in 1995, little did then 62-year-old David Ellison know his defining moment had arrived.

At that stage, Ellison, lean and fit, was a couple of years into what was going to be a very active retirement. He'd always been that way, from teenage service in the Korean War to a degree at Oxford University and teaching in New Zealand, where he was as involved in the recreational curriculum as much as the academic. Old boys from his six years at Wanganui Collegiate and more than 20 years at Christ's College will remember a maths, divinity, and music master who was hard to keep up with in the cadets, on the ski-field, tramping, and mountaineering.

Retirement was going to mean more of the same, until fate intervened that morning in the form of a life-threatening stroke which changed his life dramatically.

In the way of a positive person - one who sees the glass half full rather than half empty - Ellison describes that "worst day of his life" as also being the best.

"Life had been an adventure, even at war in Korea, because I was too young to know what it was really about. I had no family, so life had centred around me. Now I'd come close to dying and I thought how fortunate I'd been. I thought about the investments I'd made from my salary and I began to plan how best to put that money to good use.

"While recovering from the stroke, and involved with the work of the Christchurch Cathedral, I conceived the idea of a charitable trust. I would never have even thought about such a thing, had it not been for the stroke. The stroke made me count my blessings. It showed me how to do some good, to make some difference. And the trust is a thanksgiving for my recovery."

The David Ellison Charitable Trust has grown "hugely" in the 15 years since its inception. Without the aid of a computer, Ellison keeps tabs on a fund that with careful management has grown to more than $100,000. A dozen or more charities benefit each year. He says he's been blessed with a wonderful group of trustees and financial advisers who reinvest about half of the capital each year, and in whom he is confident will ensure the trust will continue.

"We meet three or four times a year and make a list of the charities we think we may be able to help. I write to them all on my typewriter, inviting them to apply for assistance with a special project. When they respond with details, we have another meeting and decide on the year's recipients."

Like an astute sharebroker, Ellison and his team do not put all their eggs in one basket - or even in one country. Trust fund recipients are as diverse as his interests, both here and overseas. "We strive for an equal balance between charities here and in developing countries. One of the first we chose was the Fred Hollows Foundation in Indonesia, and then we became aware of many other organisations doing equally wonderful work."

Recent recipients in New Zealand include Habitat for Humanity, the Canterbury Charity Hospital, Rannerdale Veterans' Home, Pillars and the Christchurch City Mission for aged care.

Overseas grants have been made to the Christian World Service in Uganda and the Oxfam water project, the Leprosy Mission surgery and the Ryder-Cheshire Foundation TB hospital, all in India.

"Leonard Cheshire VC is one of my war heroes. He was before my time, of course, but went to the same college [Merton]. He and his wife [Sue Ryder] were outstanding people."

Trust funds are always available for emergencies. Donations have been recently made to aid in tsunami, flood, famine and earthquake relief.

Photographs on the mantle at Ellison's cottage in New Brighton paint a picture of his deep interest in the people on the other end of his generosity. A lad stands beside a hand-painted wooden sign pushed into African soil. It says "thank you Mr David Ellison". But he isn't a trust fund recipient - this lad is one of nine, aged between nine and 15, who are sponsored by Ellison.

"They really do write the most wonderful letters. They have become my family. I will probably never be able to travel to visit them, but some day I hope they might visit New Zealand."

Pushed, he says he is also patron of the Cathedral's Choir Society, and is funding a scholarship for a chorister to attend Cathedral Grammar. That's the second best thing he's ever done, he says.

"The choir is one of the cathedral's great treasures, and is equal to the best in the world. I feel very honoured to support it.

"I'm a Canon Almoner [fundraiser/adviser to the Dean], too, and am humbled by my colleagues. They really are the most generous people."

Retirement might not be as he expected, but despite the slightly impaired speech and decreased mobility, Ellison says he can't imagine life sitting at home doing nothing.

"The trust is my main focus in life now.

"It makes me very happy."

- © Fairfax NZ News