Elle, 11, has left slit ventrical syndrome; hydrocephalus; left side cerebral palsy; and Aspergers. Her family organised a trip to Sydney for some bonding and relaxation time, and we contributed travel insurance, Aquarium tickets and car hire.
We received some lovely feedback from the Boyd family: “Thank you all so much for the contributions towards our family Easter break to Sydney. It was so good to get away and enjoy some valuable quality time with each other. Your generosity and help made things a little easier.”
Stephen has Acute Lymphatic Leukaemia. We gave Stephen and his Mum a Finger Pulse Monitor and protective case, to help monitor Stephen’s oxygen saturation levels when he has asthma. We also included a Chuckles Audio Monitor to enable Mum to hear Stephen from another room, plus a box of Genius 2 Probe Covers to help out with his thermometer readings.
Theo has Tracheoesophageal Fistula and Vocal Cord Palsy. He requires 24-hour oximeter monitoring, nasogastric feeds, and a tracheostomy insitu. He needs suctioning every 5 minutes.
We helped organised this Bugaboo Pram so that his suctioning and medical equipment can be stored safely to the side. We also added in some pram toys, a new bath seat, and some cinema and hair vouchers for Mum and Dad who endured a lengthy and stressful stay in ICU
Check out the big smile on Kayla’s face! After we actioned a RAPID Request to help Kayla, we shipped the laptop to our Gold Coast Affiliate to deliver to Kayla and Dr. McMaster at Tweed Heads Hospital.
Brandon and his twin brother Joseph are both suffering complications due to prematurity. Their mother Thi has no financial support and was in great need of a pram for the boys.
With help from MAD Foundation, we were able to organise a a special double stroller and capsules for Brandon and Joseph.
Vinnie is 10 and suffers from Germinoma (brain tumour recurrence). We’ve helped Vinnie and his family a few times over the years.
His Mum sent us some pics of Vinnie, his sister Mia, and his adventures – we have a special soft spot for the photo of him in the soccer gear we organised for him
We received a Request to help little Keana, whose brother Kohden has been an inpatient since birth with congenital lung malformation. Kohden is having surgery next week, and it’s hard for their parents to manage.
We gave a Zoo membership to the family and a special package of creative items and dolls for Keana to help distract her and help her family through this stressful time.
8-year-old Jamie has end stage renal failure and Autism and is on Haemodialysis 3x per week.
He had a kidney transplant on 12/11/15. His father was the donor!
We heard that Jamie loves TV, movies, games and Lego. So, to entertain and distract him during his post-op recovery, we gave a selection of DVDs and Wii games especially for Jamie. We also included board games and Lego.
Julia was hospitalised with Hypoglycemia, undergoing a lengthy stay complicated with procedures and surgery. With her sister also being an unwell inpatient at another hospital, Julia and her family needed a pick-me-up.
We heard Julia loves arts, crafts and animals, so we put together an awesome crafts package and organised a family day out to the zoo for Julia and her family.
Thomas (3) and Tayla (5) are siblings who both have Cystic Fibrosis. We gave them each a portable DVD player and DVD’s to make their frequent long trips to and from hospital a bit more fun and entertaining, we wonder if there will be any singalongs in the car?
Mum says they are loving it – they even prefer DVDs to tea! Best wishes to this lovely family.
Archer with his new PJs, socks, and Toy Story toys!
Archer has Type 1 Diabetes and was in in the Royal Children’s Hospital. We extend our warmest wishes to his family and especially his Mum Deb, who wrote to us:
“He has been inseparable from his Woody toy that arrived. We cannot thank you enough for the lovely, generous gift and we are glad that you can provide this wonderful service for so many families, when their world has been turned upside down. I think, and I am sure that all of the families that you help also think, that what you do is fantastic!!”
Little Kennedy and her family tragically lost her 2-year-old sister to multiple illnesses and respiratory failure.
She was having a lot of trouble coping with this, especially with sleep/bed time issues. After a lot of work from her mum and dad, and a lot of talking and working through things Kennedy has recently, at the age of 7.5 years, started putting herself to sleep in her own room without help. This is a huge milestone and a sign of some healing.
TLC for Kids organised for Kennedy and her family to experience Melbourne Zoo’s ‘Rore N Snore’ night, where people can enjoy the zoo after dark.
Kennedy’s Mum said “Kennedy thoroughly enjoyed the night, hanging onto every word that the Keepers shared and getting to sleep near the animals, whilst also having the opportunity to see some close up. The sleepover was a double treat really as Kennedy has a passion for animals of all shapes and sizes. Feeding a giraffe and watching the meerkats, were the real highlights for Kennedy!”
Christian, little soccer champ!
Christian has Bilateral Vocal Cord Palsy and needs a tracheostomy tube (artificial airway), but that didn’t stop him from loving the Futsal Oz Pre-school Soccer Program we organised for him.
Gypsy-Lea celebrated her 4th birthday in hospital, so we gave her a collection of creative packages, some fun animal friends, a special sparkly skirt and a pink mini scooter.
Gypsy-Lea’s Mum told us “she said it was the best birthday ever so thank you very much for making her feel special when she couldn’t have her family here on her day.”
We received these great photos from young Jordan and his Mum. We were able to arrange a Magic Trick Set for Jordan, and toys for his younger siblings, Mum received a fantastic Endota Spa Voucher.
Even though the request was for Mum to get some R&R, the kids didn’t get to miss out.
“Jordan is joyous!” said Mum!
Vivian suffers unpredictable life-threatening seizures. We gave some top-class neurological research books to Mum and Dad (plus some massage vouchers!) so that they can learn all about Vivian’s condition and help her development.
Young Keira suffers from Epilepsy and Global Development Delay, and her Mum needed some assistance in enabling Keira to attend and enjoy an extended family visit in Queensland.
We gave Keira a Super VIP Pass for 3 Parks – Sea World, Wet ‘N Wild and Movie World – plus a Dreamworld Pass to gain entry to both Dreamworld and Whitewater World. We also arranged the Hire of a wooden cot for their stay, plus a Hire Car and Booster Seat for the duration of the holiday.
Keira and her Mum had a fantastic holiday!
Charlie has complex epilepsy and global developmental delay.
This past Christmas, Charlie really wanted a fish-tank, but his Mum’s car registration was due imminently, leaving her with high financial stress.
We paid the remainder of her car registration and contributed to a fish tank for Charlie.
Eulalie has a condition called Bilateral Congenital Chylothoraces, wherein excessive amounts of fluid enters the lungs, impairing breathing, and often requiring a chest tube to be inserted and kept in place until the fluid drainage stops. This can take days to weeks, and can require prolonged hospitalisations.
Eugenie had been hospitalized since birth. She had an emergency tracheostomy, and whilst her parents had been amazingly resilient, the length of her admission was still unknown.
TLC for Kids was asked to send her parents away for one night, to enjoy a nice meal together and catch up on some overdue quality time, and provide a bunch of educational toys to distract her through such a distressing time.
After a horrific motor vehicle accident, sisters Cathryn* and Laura*, 6 and 8 yrs old, both received severe multiple injuries and the death of their Grandmother, who was driving the car. As well as suffering the terrible injuries to their little bodies, they were completely traumatised by the impact of the accident, and the loss of a dear family member.
Hospital staff called us to provide some distraction for the girls to help them get through this extremely upsetting time, and keep them occupied both at the hospital and at home, through their recovery.
TLC for Kids provided the girls with an iPad Mini and various iTunes cards of different denominations/value.
George was diagnosed with Ependymoma, a malignant brain tumour, when he was 4-years old. In the hope of beating brain cancer, he had in excess of 15 hospital visits, enduring a series of chemotherapy, radiology and surgery.
He couldn’t comprehend the full extent of what was going on, but he knew his health was in question. He didn’t want much; he just wanted to be a normal kid, just like all of his friends.
Finally when George was released from hospital, weak and exhausted, the family decided to go to the Sunshine Coast for a much-needed holiday, and TLC for Kids provided some family fun.
Then, just twelve months later and starting 4-year-old Kinder thinking the worst was behind him, George was readmitted to hospital after his tumour had progressed. TLC for Kids was again contacted after another major brain operation. This time it was a simple request to cheer the little fella up. TLC provided an Emergency Response Lego set, including helicopters and a Fire Engine, which George absolutely loved.
Jacob had Congestive Heart Failure. He had been in the Royal Children’s Hospital for several months on a VAD (Ventricular Assisted Device), awaiting a heart transplant. He was from Queensland, and he and his family had to stay in Melbourne for a further 3 months once his operation was approved. They were staying in a ‘Transplant Flat’ near the Royal Children’s Hospital. Jacob was about to have his 4th birthday. He wanted to go home.
One of Jacob’s nurses called in for a RAPID TLC. She felt that Jacob needed something to cheer him up, especially on his birthday. Her first request was a themed birthday cake, something from the Disney/Pixar movie ‘Cars’, and the second request, after his surgery, was something to bring his confidence back from being bed-ridden for so long, requiring re-educating him to start ‘playing’ and being active again.
Joel, a 10-year old boy, had Cystic Fibrosis. He was constantly in hospital with lung infections and other respiratory complications. Before Christmas one year, it was a particularly rough time for Joel. His results were not too good, and he was at a very low point. His medical team asked him what kind of things he had on his Christmas list, and he said he would love a Razor Power Wing scooter.
The nurses thought this was a great idea and agreed it would really help lift his spirits while he was in hospital. As well as being a good source of exercise for his lungs, it was good reason to get him out of his hospital bed
Lucy was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when she was only 7 years old.
Lucy and her mum had a very old fridge at home that leaked, the temperature often changed without being noticed, and it made large thumping noises that carried on during the night, creating lots of restless sleep.
With Lucy’s diagnosis, it then meant that she had to store her insulin in the fridge, which caused the family immense stress and concern that it wasn’t going to be safe.
Lucy’s mum was single mother, and really struggling financially. TLC replaced Lucy’s old fridge and provided some peace of mind to Lucy and her mum, knowing that her Insulin could be stored safely, and it was reliable for general food storage, which was also important to regulate Lucy’s sugar levels.