JODY Taunton is a strong and motivated woman achieving high ambitions but, above of all else, she is a loving mother to five children, one of whom recently featured on national television.
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After her 14-year-old daughter Jordan became the victim of bullying Ms Taunton, a student of TAFE’s diploma of screen and media, decided to use her filmmaking skills to address the problem.
She filmed a short movie offering Shoalhaven High School students an insight into Jordan’s life.
Jordan, 14, from Worrigee lives with cerebral palsy, is wheelchair-bound and uses an electronic tablet to speak.
“I just wanted to let the students know Jordan goes through enough in her life without being bullied,” Ms Taunton said.
“The school principal was very supportive of the idea, and showing the film to the school made a difference to how Jordan was treated by some students.
“The principal said it was the first time he had seen every student stop and watch the screen without moving.
“I also used that film for one of my TAFE assignments,” she said.
She also submitted the short film in the ABC Open program and it wasn’t long before a producer from ABC’s education program Behind The News (BTN) contacted Ms Taunton seeking another insight into Jordan’s life.
It was the perfect opportunity for Ms Taunton to exercise her media skills and to help educate students around the nation about living with cerebral palsy.
“I was pretty excited, but now Jords and I had a deadline to meet, so the pressure was on,” she said. “I wrote a script and filmed it all, then sent it to ABC for editing.”
The vision made BTN but it was also picked up by other ABC programs and ran nationally.
“Jords was so excited to see herself on TV,” Ms Taunton said.
In the film Jordan explained, “Even though I look a bit different, cruising around in my wheelchair and talking through a tablet, I’m still just like you.
“The reason I wanted to tell my story is that I wanted everyone to know what I’m like behind my wheelchair and tablet. I am a normal kid and even though my life isn’t easy I love it, that is why I smile as much as I can, and I hope all of you will smile back at me too,” Jordan said.
TAFE Illawarra head teacher of pre-vocational programs Greg Bourne said he was proud of what Ms Taunton had achieved.
“She’s only halfway through her screen and media diploma and she’s got national coverage with her footage. That is a first,” he said.
“She had to negotiate with the ABC director based in Adelaide, but they were very pleased with the footage. She’s a great photographer and now she’s getting into video and learning to be a good filmmaker in her own right.
“We are very proud of her. If she can do this halfway thought her diploma who knows what she will be doing when she graduates.”
