A collection of puppets depicting a Tennant Creek family affected by foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), is opening a difficult conversation. The choices parents make could prevent babies being born into lives of health and behavioural problems.
FASD is an umbrella term describing a range of permanent birth defects caused by alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The challenge for Adele Gibson, the FASD Coordinator for the Anyinginyi Aboriginal Health Corporation in Tennant Creek, was overcoming cultural, educational and language barriers to the prevention message.
In the face of a serious and tragic health problem, Ms Gibson turned to puppets and hip hop.
"Our three custom-made puppets have these fantastic latex faces, and they're our FASD family. There's mum - Lila, dad - Clem, and seven-year-old son Mathias who has FASD. And mum is pregnant for the second time, but this time she knows not to drink," says Ms Gibson.
"Basically what I've had to do is get across a negative message. So you're telling people not to do something. Whenever you have a 'not' or a 'no', you've got to balance it with something positive," she says.
Over two years the community created the puppets which were used to tell stories of FASD in short films as well as original music which broached the issue. The film, Barkly Fights FASD, was launched to the community in October and had an immediate impact.
"A hundred people came through the doors and they loved the film. And we used the film as a catalyst for a community forum," Ms Gibson says.
Adele Gibson's passion for preventing FASD comes from a very personal experience. She was a foster parent for the first eight years of a boy's life who was severely affected.
"We watched what he went through. He had a lot of surgery. He had a tracheostomy. He is, and probably always will be fed through a tube in his stomach. He had a really hard time, and probably always will. So that gave me the passion for prevention I suppose, and was also my steep learning curve about foetal alcohol spectrum disorder," she says.
The Kimberley has played a role in helping Tennant Creek's attempt to prevent FASD. Fitzroy Crossing Aboriginal leaders and health campaigners June Oscar and Emily Carter, visited Tennant Creek to share ideas and inspiration.
"Strong Aboriginal women coming here and talking to other strong Aboriginal women was always going to be a winner," says Ms Gibson
"We've watched in amazement what they've done with their communities there, and it's given us hope for the future for us."
Listen to Adele Gibson on Kimberley Mornings with Vanessa Mills.