William given the goods to fight back

Bartercard offers support and a helping hand to 28 year old Australian, William House, who became a paraplegic after a devastating traffic accident. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) February 01, 2011 - Local 28-year old William House who became a paraplegic three years ago after a tragic traffic accident is even more determined to re-engage in the community and work-force with the support of Bartercard.

William suffered horrific injuries after a car struck him when crossing a road in Southport in 2007. Andrew Barker, General Manager of Bartercard decided to become William's sponsor once he saw how he had fought back after spending the last three years in and out of hospital during which time he's become estranged from many of his family and friends, including his partner and mother.

Shortly after his partner and children left in 2008 to move to Melbourne his youngest daughter was diagnosed with cancer of the blood requiring permanent chemotherapy treatment. He flew down to see his daughter at that time but has not seen her in over a year.

"I've recently been released from hospital but the clots on my lungs and the cost of treatment will make it unlikely for me to be able to visit my family again soon," he said. This is where Bartercard stepped in.

After hearing about William's story, Bartercard jumped at the opportunity to donate to William white goods from its members including a replacement fridge, microwave, washing machine, dryer, other household furniture and a new laptop.

"Bartercard is delighted to be able to help William and give him the necessities to be able to get back to living a fulfilling and meaningful life with every chance of achievement," said Mr Barker.

"We hope the laptop will help William connect with his family through Skype and email. We've also arranged for William to complete a Webmaster Basic and Certificate IV Course giving him a qualification after 18 months to build websites for clients," he said.

"I'm really thankful to Bartercard," said William. "There are lots of other people in need so I really appreciate their support. It's helped give me a new outlook on life and the motivation to get back into the community and make friends again. These are things I haven't had the chance to do since I had my accident."

"I used to be a chef but I don't cook at the moment because I can't stand up for long periods of time," he said. "However, I'm planning on getting back into the kitchen again soon to help out where I can at a restaurant near my house."

"I work hard to remain positive and keep strong with a good attitude. It really helps just being around positive and happy people such as Andrew from Bartercard. Even a short 10 minute conversation is enough to keep me going."

Bartercard has announced a mini Appeal among its members for William and has plans for ongoing support and donations for the future.

Before this tragedy in 2007, William was an up and coming chef and avid BMX rider who had plans to compete in the BMX World Championships.

About Bartercard

Bartercard was founded in 1991 on the Gold Coast, Queensland, and has grown to become the world's largest barter exchange, with over 40 offices around Australia. Bartercard assists approximately 20,000 businesses in Australia (55,000 around the world) to barter their goods and services - without the challenge of a direct swap.

Although the concept of barter is thousands of years old, bartering through Bartercard is an innovative way of combining modern technology, a network of businesses and direct and indirect marketing channels to increase a business' customer base, sales and profit, and improve cashflow.

Media contact:

David Browne, The Wilkinson Group, Tel: 02-8001-8827 / Mobile:0432 550 995

Bartercard Australia General Manager Andrew Barker and William House are available for interview.

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