Hi, my name is Kirsten and I'm raising funds to help a local family cope with more surgery and trauma, and do what they can to increase quality of life for Ollie. Many of you know and love Ollie, Kobe and Dan, and know that they have had 4 years of trying to fix one of Ollie's hips so that he can move without pain (Legg Calve Perthes disease). Well now the other one has started degenerating, causing knee and hip pain and terrible insomnia. Prognosis is worse now that he is older, heavier with less supple bones. He is back in a broomstick cast, with no weight-bearing, hip braces and a wheelchair after the cast, with further major surgery required and poor long-term prognosis (hip replacements likely needed, arthritis etc).

After four years of doing all the right things to try and fix the first hip, Ollie (and the family) are anxious, angry, frustrated and overwhelmed. Ollie is a vibrant, active and bouncy kid and this is simply devastating.

They are facing major costs (detailed below) to ty and manage some quality of life for Ollie. Major items are: a bed that can enable him to sleep without pain (which he will always need), correct-sized wheelchair that he can manage when he can go back to school, major accessibility modifications to the house, medical and mental healthcare costs as well as expenses of frequent hospital visits in Melbourne. There are a few things in there that are strategies to try and keep Ollie stimulated and engaged while he can't move - so he can focus on music, games, schoolwork etc. Costs are estimated at $40,000 - they simply don't have this money. Every little bit of support will help!

NB. If you can help in ways other than money - tradies willing to assist with the house modifications for reduced rates, or if you have any of these things available second-hand or to donate etc - please email me and I'll manage a list for them to work through.

Asking for help in this way is not something anyone loves to do. But I just don't know how Kobe holds it all together, and when I suggested that there might be people in this community willing to help out she was willing to try. She knows that many, many people are struggling a lot at the moment and is very conscious of asking for help in this context. But they really need some help. This family is severely affected by diverse physical and mental health conditions that are affecting income generation (bipolar, panic disorder, rheumatoid arthritis, ADD, sleep apnea, bulging spinal discs from lifting Ollie after previous surgeries, insomnia, investigation of fibromyalgia due to continuous pain, finger chopped off in a work accident etc). Kobe is trying to complete her Diploma of Community Services while working as much as she can while caring for her family. She is exhausted and overwhelmed.

Medical and remediation expenses ($14,000)

House modifications for accessibility ($22,000)

Engagement and some fun ($4,000)