About the Burns Support Group Board Members

George Stephens
President and Trustee

A proud father of a son and two daughters.  Blessed to be the grandfather of 4"princesses".  I have lived in Auckland all my life and I am currently living in Howick.  I have been in the New Zealand Fire Service almost 40 years now and I am currently the Strategic Partnership Coordinator for the Fire Region 1.  I spent 24 years on frontline fire appliances and transferred to Fire Safety in 1996 and haven't looked back.  I have been doing my current role in Fire Risk Management Department for 30 months now and enjoy every day I come to work.  Or almost every day!!!

I was a keen sports participator in my younger years playing rugby, soccer, softball, indoor cricket and some volley ball.  I am now a "world expert in couch potato sports "know it all" and believe that I have the answers to all the failures our sports people provide.  Ha-ha

My reason for joining the Board, 3 years ago was to continue on with a Fire Service presence and to add value to the great work done by predecessors of the board. 

This last year has had anew firsts for the Burn Support Group.

1          Sending Carrie to the World Burn Congress.  The second year in a row we have had a presence on  the world stage.

2          A Burns camp outside the Auckland Region.

3          Relocated our Office from the Middlemore Hospital to the rear of the Otahuhu Fire Station.

My on-going vision for the board is to add real value to our objectives towards preventable burns through education, peer support of survivors and their families/friends and to support improvements in treatments and support of burns survivors predominantly through the National Burn Centre in Auckland.

My hope is that more and more burn survivors and their supporters will support the board as it is your board for you so please think about it.  Become a friend of Burn Support and help us help you and others.

Hope to catch up with you in the near future.

Jan Steele
Vice President and Trustee

I have had the privilege of being involved with the Burn Support Group Charitable Trust, Inc. since 1986 / 1987. I was first involved as a board member and minute’s secretary and then in August of this year, I was honoured to be nominated and elected to the role of Vice President of the trust.

I have worked at Middlemore Hospital for 25 years (come February 2010) – always in Plastic Surgical and Burns Reconstructive Surgery and for the last seven years, focusing solely on burns. I am a foundation staff member of the National Burn Centre (NBC).

A burn injury is the worst possible injury the human body endures, and the survivors of a major burn injury have their life irrevocably and permanently altered in so many ways. I am very passionate about burns and I find it an absolute privilege to work with and care for the burns patients.

I was born in Kaitaia, but grew up in the beauty of Coromandel. I am a ‘hospital trained’ nurse, having done my training at the Thames Hospital School of Nursing – they really were the ‘good old days!’

I am married to Andrew, mother to Graeme and Robbie, and Nan (or Nana or Nanny) to the three most beautiful girls – Alicia, Ava and Leah.

In my spare time, I have many varied interests – reading, antiques, gardening, baking, netball, rugby, listening to music, walking, spending time with my family, and of course, the work that I do with the Burn Support Group.

Hayden Goldsack
Board member Burn Survivor

I was burnt as a 4 Year old to 60% of my body. I am on the Burn Support Group's board because I want to not only give a survivors perspective on things but also give back to those who are less fortunate than myself.

I grew up in a world without psychologists and without knowing an other person that had suffered the scars, agony or teasing that only a burn survivor can know. I wanted to be able to do something for others in those younger years that have gone through horrific experiences and see for themselves that they can be ok in later life. They can have a full life which can be as good if not better than many other people.

I refuse to let my injuries effect my day to day life. I qualified at 36 for the NZ Long Distance Triathalon Team and have completed 2 Ironman Triathalons. This entails completing a 3.8k swim, 180k Bike and then running a full 42.2k Marathon.

I run my own business here in Auckland and look forward to help survivors young and older in re finding their passion and overcoming the mental obstacles that we may put in our own way!

Steve Lakin
Board member

This is me...

Who am I?

My name is Steve Lakin; I became an NZ immigrant in 2005 having come from the sunny shores of South East England.

What do I do?

I've been a fire Fighter most of my life, well the last 25 years anyway.  Prior to that I served in Her Majesty's Royal Navy, as a Medical Assistant.

I am an Assistant Area Commander and work within a Management team looking after the Central City stations, there are eleven of them.  As a team we are part of a command and control function at large or protracted incidents.

My daytime role includes the general welfare/support of the Fire fighters, as well as ensuring the building stock and commercial activity in the City Areas are compliant and adequately assessed for fire risk.

Outside of here - I am a share holder in a little English Pub called 'The Jolly Roger'.  Does that impact on my life??  Well I eat there most days of the week, why cook dinner when you have your own personal Chef who can make fabulous mealsJ

Why did I want to be part of the Burn Support Group?

It all goes back to when a friend introduced me to a story, of their life on board the SS Uganda. (We served in the Navy together in 1983) My friend Phil Harrington was a medic onboard.  In 1982 the Cruise ship SS Uganda was commandeered by the RN and was turned into a hospital ship and sent down to the Falklands.  During the conflict the SS Uganda took 350 casualties from the RFA Sir Galahad, many of them were burns victims.  Forty Eight soldiers lost their lives, but the story inspired me to do something different with my life.  Be actively involved in First Aid treatment and subsequently join the Fire Service.  Since joining the FS I’ve pushed for a career path towards "Fire Prevention and Education" which seems to suit me well, hence the Burns Support Group...

Delwyn Tait-Breslau
Founder and Patron

In 1984 my then 8 year old son, Brendon, sustained burns to 40% of his body in an explosion. This personal experience made it obvious to me that some type of support organisation was desperately needed for burn survivors and their families. Not only were they suffering intense physical pain, but sometimes also the loss of a home or family member and possibly also having to undergo a dramatic change in body or facial image, which can be a major psychological trauma in itself. It became my passion to alleviate as much suffering as I possibly could for these burn survivors and their families, so subsequently . . . . . .

Established the BURN SUPPORT GROUP CHARITABLE TRUST in Auckland in 1987. 

Established the first children’s burn camp in NZ, (which is still held annually by the BSGCT.)

Served on both Middlemore and the Auckland Hospital Schools Board of Trustees. 

Became an Active member of COVAC (Co-ordinators of Volunteers of Auckland), Safe Kids and FINZ(Fundraising Institute of NZ) ‘82 –’90. 

Assisted by a substantial grant from ACC, established a national organization of 21 other groups and contacts around New Zealand eventually becoming its national executive director. 

Invited to be a member of the National Task Force for ACC’s NZ wide Thermal Injury Programme in 1990. 

Established the first skin bank in NZ and fundraised for numerous items of hospital and surgical equipment for the Plastic Surgery Unit at Middlemore Hospital (now the National Burn Unit). 

Bi-annually attended many World Burn Congresses and American Burn Association conferences being a Special Member, Invited Speaker and exhibitor at several. 

Accompanied a study/lecture tour of China with the Phoenix Society, 1992. 

Received 15 national and international awards and medals including one from Queen Elizabeth 11 in 1990. 

Upon marrying Alan Breslau, burn survivor and executive director of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors in 1993, immigrated to the United States becoming its associate director. In this capacity established the first summer camp for burned children in Pennsylvania, Camp Susquehanna, co-ordinating and co-directing it for ten years.  During 20 years of involvement with the burn community, gave over 350 public presentations and numerous television, radio and media interviews throughout the U.S., Australia, China and NZ.  Alan and I retired from our directorships of the Phoenix Society in 1997. The society subsequently established an award in our honour which, (in grateful appreciation initially to the Phoenix Society and currently to the BSGCT), we have been able to present each year on the Banquet night at the annual World Burn Congress. The Alan and Delwyn Breslau Award is the highest distinction the Phoenix Society can bestow. The award honours: “A Phoenix Society member who has, through a collaborative spirit, significantly enhanced the ability of the Phoenix Society to fulfil its mission of peer support, education, collaboration and advocacy. By virtue of their character, integrity and service provided to those impacted by a burn injury, this person has significantly enhanced the Phoenix Society and the burn community.” We immigrated to New Zealand in 2003, at which time it was an honour to accept an invitation to become a patron of the Burn Support Group Charitable Trust. Having now come ‘full circle’, I have returned to my love of sewing to create beautiful wedding and special occasion garments, currently sating my passion with Kevin Moore Design in Howick.