Hey all, my name’s Amanda – I’m Bec’s oldest sister, and I’m asking for your help today for Bec, Jamie, Liam and their unborn baby.

On Tuesday (28th July) Bec went in for a routine ultrasound to check on her growing babe “Felix” (pet name until he’s born!) Unfortunately what was supposed to be routine, turned out not to be so routine, as doctors found that he had developed a large fluid accumulation around his heart, lungs, and under his skin - a condition known as Hydrops. This resulted in her being admitted in a rush to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital here in Adelaide late Tuesday afternoon.  

This condition is incredibly serious as it is putting a lot of pressure on Felix’s heart and lung, and preventing them from developing properly. Hydrops is quite tricky because there are MANY things that can cause it, and at this point the doctors are unsure why Felix has it. The added complication is that it’s very hard to treat whilst he’s in the womb.

To add complexity, there is a very high probability that Felix will have Down Syndrome or another rare genetic condition. Sadly there are not many options for treatment in the womb, and Doctors are now treading a very fine line of balancing whether it’s best to keep him inside Bec, or take him out to treat his Hydrops in an external incubator as a 28 week old baby. They are obviously trying to determine which option gives him the very best chance of life, and their decisions are being made based on day by day and hour by hour monitoring. The only thing they know for sure at this point is that Felix will not make it to full term, and he will spend a good portion of time in the NICU fighting for his life.

Bec will be remaining in hospital until Felix is born so they can closely monitor both of them, and help her manage the Gestational Diabetes that she’s developed. I’m sure you can appreciate that Bec (and Jamie!) is understandably very anxious, and this is all taking a huge toll on her emotionally, physically and mentally. She could be in the hospital for a long time yet – and this means a separation from Liam (Bec and Jamie’s 2yo) and Jamie.

Why am I asking for your help?
Bec and Jamie arrived in Australia in early February this year after having lived in Kelowna, British Columbia for 5+ years. Because they’ve only been here for less than 6 months, it means neither of them are eligible for parental leave, and as Jamie is the only one working (and is obviously taking time off work to support Bec!) it means their finances are strained, and will continue to be this way for the foreseeable future.

I would love for us as their family and friends to get around them both to alleviate some of that financial stress for them. Their costs are already adding up as Jamie drives to and from the hospital (an hour away) daily, pays for parking and food and then returns to Liam in the evenings (it’s okay, we’re not leaving Liam to fend for himself – Meg, Mum or I have him!!) They also still have the ongoing living costs of rent, utilities, groceries etc – and I’m sure you can appreciate this is going to be a difficult season for them on many levels.

My hope is that we can create enough space for them financially so that they can concentrate on spending this time together as a family, bonding with their new son/brother and not worrying about the logistics of home life. If you are willing to bless them financially in this time I know that they would be beyond grateful, no matter how small or big.

Thank you so much for loving on them and supporting them through this difficult season of life! I will keep you updated as things shift and change.