A Gift in Your Will Can Give Kids More Time
The arrival of a new baby brings parents, relatives and friends joy, excitement and love. For some parents there is also the unexpected when their new little one receives a diagnosis that swings the pendulum from happiness to confusion, concern and sometimes fear.
For parents, Lara and Brendan, the pendulum moved in the wrong direction for their newborn son Lachie.
“He wasn’t gaining any weight even though I was feeding him constantly. I could see how hungry he was, but every time he fed, the food would just go through him,’ explained Lara.
In the first few weeks alone, little Lachie lost 500 grams. Lara went searching for answers, determined to find out what was happening to her little boy and just days later, she received a voicemail she would never forget. It was a message from the hospital asking her to call back. Lara received the devastating news – her baby boy had cystic fibrosis.
The very next day, Lachie had his first appointment at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. Then at just five weeks old, little Lachie began his lifelong treatment plan.
Cystic fibrosis is the most common lifethreatening genetic disease affecting Australian children. It severely affects the lungs, digestive system and sometimes the reproductive system, causing an abnormal build-up of sticky mucus that can make it difficult to breathe.
Advances in treatment have seen improved quality of life and life expectancy for those with cystic fibrosis, but currently, there is no known cure.
“When he’s well, Lachie’s regular treatment includes oral medication – around 20 tablets a day, vitamins, a nebulizer in the morning, physiotherapy and another nebulizer in the evening. When he’s unwell, it’s a whole different story”.
Fifty years ago, children with the most common and most serious forms of cystic fibrosis rarely lived past the age of five. Today, there are adults with cystic fibrosis who are having their own children.
Lachie is now thriving, and Lara puts this success down to the incredible team that surrounds them including doctors, nurses, dietitians, physiotherapists and more.
Leaving a gift in your Will to Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation (SCHF) could help kids like Lachie to live with cystic fibrosis.
By leaving a gift in your Will to SCHF, you can help fund groundbreaking research, purchase vital cutting-edge equipment, and enable SCHF to continue world-class healthcare for sick kids.
Leaving a gift, as little as 5% can help shift the pendulum in the right direction and give sick kids more time to be kids, experience life and enjoy growing up.
