Bernie, six, sells his toys for St John

Press, 21 December 1978, Page 1

Bernie, six, sells his toys for St John

Bernie Mann, aged six, believes that the St John ambulance service saved his life.

So, to show his gratitude, he sold all his worldly assets — his toys.

He managed to raise $27.57 from them and proudly presented the money to the St John Amb u 1 a n c e Association yesterday.

Bernie, who lives with his American-born parents at 330 Centaurus Road, was struck by a car on his way to the St Martins School on October 10. He suffered head injuries in the accident, which occurred at the junction of Wilsons Road and Centaurus Road, and was taken to the Christchurch Hospital in an am-

bulanoe driven by Mr Roger Hill.

“Roger was great, He explained everything io Bernie and he also comforted a hysterical mother —me,” said Mrs Eileen Mann.

Bernie came out of hospital convinced that the St John ambulancemen had saved his life.

“Selling his toys was his own idea. He wanted to give them the money on his birthday, but we persuaded him to wait until Christmas,” said Mrs Mann.

The garage sale was a success. Among the toys were Bernie’s Dr Seuss books and his Mickey Mouse game. “That was my favourite,” Bernie said yesterday, as he inspected

the ambulance which took him to hospital. Bernie, who will be in Standard 2 next year, has been told that he is welcome any time at the St John headquarters in Peterborough Street. “1 will come back. I like the ambulancemen,” he said yesterday. Mrs Mann came to New Zealand eight years ago with her husband, Mr J. D. Mann, who is a biochemist employed by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at Lincoln.

“In the States you have to pay a lot for an ambulance,” Mrs Mann said yesterday. “New Zealanders have a tremendous ambulance service and they should support it,” she said.