Syd's Story
1999 (29 years old)
A car accident when he was nine left him in the chair and then he was kicked out of home. His parents didn't want the responsibility of looking after him.
Syd's in a wheelchair. He's my mate and is one of the strongest people you'll ever meet, although he always seems sad. You can tell that the love he missed out on would have had a big impact on his life. He can walk although it takes a long time to get anywhere. His left arm is thin and weak, just like his legs but his right arm could break your bones. Syd's speech is slurred, although his mind is quick. He's everyone's friend and has no enemies. It's probably safer that way.
He found a $50 note the other day and a heap of coins. Syd gave me ten and refused to let me knock it back, telling me to get something to eat or I'd be sorry. He knows I'll pay it back though.
He enjoys his cones like everyone else. He's no different from any of us and wherever we go, he goes. Wherever we sleep, he sleeps. He's just another one of us.
Syd has a good reputation. He gives more than he can afford to (maybe because he believes you should help people when they need it so you can rely on them to help you when you need it). It's like an investment.
Almost every day, he'll play the ticket games at Timezone (since he's so good at them) and then he'll come out with a huge bag of Minties, Fantales and Sherbies. He shares most of them but they don't seem to last long.
Everything he owns, he carries around with him in a backpack on his wheelchair. Another reputation he has, is for sick jokes. A lot of the time, I'm the only female in our group when Syd churns out these sick sex jokes. He seems to really miss his sex life, although I'm not sure he ever had one. He never misses out on anything else though.
Syd died in 2009