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Country Hope not only assisted us with accommodation and fuel cost, but their support was BIG. It took the big burden away from us. One of us needed to be in hospital with Emily and the other needed to be home looking after Caleb and working and that made things really hard, and expensive.
Country Hope have helped and supported our family over the years with multiple trips to Sydney for treatment, food and fuel costs, camps and Christmas events. Country Hope also helped us buy a van (people-mover) when Mum was expecting her 6th child. Elaina’s pain started increasing at the age of 4 and by age 6 she was having to undergo multiple tests each time the pain worsened, despite being on strong pain medication. Elaina continues to see her pain team twice a year in Sydney.
The most important thing I can recommend for families with a sick child is to not bottle it up. I used to bottle it up, but then found I was emotionally exhausted. I felt excluded and numb. When I bottled my feelings up, I wasn’t able to help Phoebe with her frustration either. It’s not always easy to turn to a family or friend because you don’t want to burden them, so it was nice to be able to turn to a friendly face at Country Hope when I needed someone to talk to and get things off my chest.
A parents worst nightmare came true on December 2007 ourthree and a half year old Rosey was diagnosed with Leaukemia. Our world and family fell apart, my husband, Rosey, me and our 8 week old baby drove to RCH Melbourne and had to leave behind the twins 10yrs, sammy 2yrs and Jessy 1 yr with family.
We started Rosey’s battle with cancer by living in Melbourne for 6 weeks she underwent unimaginable pain of needles, yucky medicines forced down her throat, transfusions, lumbar punctures, until she had no more veins to access then they put a Porte-Cath inside her to stick the chemo needles....
I remember so vividly that first massive black and purple bruise surrounding a lump the size of an acorn on his shin. The questions rushed to mind ‘How on earth did this happen’. The bruising continued over this Queens Birthday Long Weekend 2012 with smaller bruises popping up on the lower half of his body along with irritability, pain, loss of appetite and small blood noses during the night.
In 1995 my precious baby son was born with chronic liver failure requiring transplantation. As transplant technology was not nearly as advanced as it is today, Kiaren was not expected to live past his first few months of life. Due to transplant waiting times and many other factors he did not receive his life saving (and for him life changing) transplant until just before his 14th birthday.