Come together for the Colless family

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting a member of the Colless family, you would know first-hand what a great bunch of people they are. Always the first to lend a hand and reach out whenever and wherever there are those in need.

For those who don’t know them, they’re a family of 7 - Clint and Brooke, along with their tribe of 5 amazing kids - they love the ocean, spending time as a family and making the most of being together every chance they get.

Recently, their lives have taken a traumatic turn. Their eldest son Kai, has been diagnosed with an extremely rare vascular condition called AVM, which has caused sudden, complex and aggressive neurological symptoms. This has been a devastating shock for the family as Kai, with the support of Brooke and Clint, now prepares to battle this rare condition at The Queensland Children's Hospital in Brisbane.

Since Kai’s admission to hospital, his prognosis has not improved. He has bravely undergone a risky surgery that we hope has given his medical team more time to find answers to save his life. To add to this, Kai has lost the use of his legs and is now awaiting a daunting, long list of further assessments and treatments. His case is extremely rare, and doctors are working against time constraints to research his condition and support his short and long-term outcomes as best they can. As you can imagine, the family are doing their best to take each day as it comes and support each other through this unimaginable trauma.

Anyone who’s met or had anything to do with Kai would know that he is an incredible young man, son, big brother and friend - the kind of kid who leaves an impression on you long after you meet him. He has been a fantastic athlete all of his young life, so this confronting situation is beyond devastating for him. Despite this, Kai has shown courage beyond his years and hasn’t complained once. Much the same, Clint and Brooke, along with the rest of the family, are trying their best not to burden anyone with the situation they now find themselves in.

This is where we need your support - there are going to be many expected and unexpected costs that arise throughout Kai’s journey - the list is growing by the day, and it’s a daunting situation. Clint and Brooke are needed daily beside Kai, and they will do anything they can to help him tell his story for many future years. Whilst they are in this situation, we hope to relieve some of the financial pressures mounting upon them, so they can concentrate solely on looking after Kai. Therefore, all money raised through this appeal will go towards Kai’s ongoing treatments and the day-to-day expenses involved with caring for and raising a family of 7 in the most challenging of circumstances.

The Colless family are and have always been a huge part of the Northern Rivers and southern Gold Coast communities, and we now have an opportunity to show our collective love and support at a time when they are in desperate need.

If you can, please donate, share, pray and rally around this beautiful family as they have always done for us. We know that with our wider community's love and support, we can get Kai the help he needs and assist in easing the heavy burden of what will inevitably come over the coming months.

Thank you for doing what you can to help the Colless family feel the love and support of community at this difficult and tragic time.