“ARE you the booklet lady?”
It may seem an odd greeting, but to Rosewood Lion, Tanya Johnson, it has become part of her life to answer that question with a smile and a … “Yes, that’s me, do you need a booklet?”.
What they are referring to is a small booklet entitled, ‘Emergency Medical Information Book’ which, once filled out with a person’s emergency contacts, medication list, medical conditions and events, can be hung on their fridge ready to hand to ambulance officers or other medical personnel when the need arises.
When Tanya volunteered to take on the project for the Rosewood Lions Club a few years ago, she wasn’t aware of the impact it would have on her community and on her day to day life.
Rosewood Lions sponsor the printing of the booklets and make them free to over 65s or people with medical conditions, in their local area.
It’s a project that has won a lot of praise from locals.
And it’s a project that has led to Tanya becoming known as “The Booklet Lady”.
“I was recently in Ipswich about to visit a hairdresser there,” recalls Tanya, “I used to attend the only one in Rosewood with a no front step entry, however it sadly closed down last year.
“A lady exiting the hairdresser asked me ‘Are you the booklet lady?’.
“I being the prepared Lions member I am, keep four or five booklets in the front of my handbag, so I pulled them out and asked, ‘Do you mean these booklets?’.
“The answer was yes … before you know it, I had given out another three booklets to a fellow Rosewood resident who was in need of them.”
Another time she recalled was when a car stopped her in the main street as she was going home in her wheelchair. The question was asked and answered by Tanya pulling the booklets out of her handbag.
Tanya retired from primary school teaching in 2019. She had taught students mainly in Years 1 and 2 for 26 years – 20 of those years she taught at the Rosewood State School.
She delights in meeting students who she taught who are now adults with their own family.
And there’s also delight in her voice when she talks of the value of the Rosewood Lions Medi Alert Project to her community.
“Soon after I began the project, I was contacted by the person in charge of the West Moreton Ambulance Service, telling me how thrilled their ambulance officers were with the booklets I had given out to residents in the Cabanda Independent Living Units,” Tanya recalls.
Handing out the booklets soon expanded to visiting a number of community groups on a request from Donna Hanlon at the Community Centre.
“After that, I then began to visit some other community groups that meet at our local Girl Guides Hut – Light Exercise Group, Art Group, Seniors Group, Beginners Tai Chi and Line Dancing Group to name a few,” she said.
“I tell community groups I visit that the Rosewood Lions Club pay to have the booklets printed out. The booklet is then given to them free and all the Rosewood Lions ask is that they fill the booklet in and to keep the booklet on your fridge.”
Last year, Tanya added the Rosewood GP and the Rosewood Pharmacy to her list – they hand the booklets out to their clients in the over-65 bracket.
Since 2022, Tanya has handed out almost 900 booklets and her visits to community groups and to people in the Independent Living Units at Cabanda are not a once only occasion.
During each year, she revisits to remind people to keep their booklets updated, to hand booklets to people who don’t have one or to give booklets to those who need a new one as in updating their booklets they have run out of room.
“Everyone needs to update their booklet at least once a year,” Tanya said.
“Everyone needs to make sure it is still on their fridge.
“Everyone needs to double check their information in the booklet to make sure it is current.”
