Have a Heart for Baby Matthew
Donation protected
My very good friends Angela and Chris are in for a rough time. Angela is pregnant with their second son, Matthew, who will be born in December 2020 with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome.
This means the left side of the heart isn’t formed properly so his heart can’t support normal circulation around his body. Babies born with this condition need many surgeries to have a chance of survival. In Matthew’s case, the first will be open heart surgery when he is just 3 days old, followed by one at 3 months and another at 3 years.
The grim reality is that they currently face a very uncertain future. Angela, Chris, and their 2-year-old son, Sam, must relocate from Canberra to Sydney for an unknown period of time. This means they can’t give up their home in Canberra, and must also pay for a place to stay in Sydney. Angela will not be able to work, caring for both Sam and Matthew, and Chris can take some extended leave but they may then need to face temporary separation for Chris to come back to Canberra to work so they can make ends meet.
The ongoing costs of this condition are also not to be discounted, there will be many more appointments, check ups and potential surgeries required, not to mention the cost of various therapies to help a child understand their limitations and live with his diagnosis.
Many of Angela and Chris’s friends are feeling helpless, wanting to help but not knowing how. Well, in my opinion, this is how. They have many worries to bear, but if you can help even a little bit by reducing some of the financial strain which they will face, then you have done a good thing for which they will be forever grateful.
Please consider donating, as much as you can to help Angela, Chris, Sam and Matthew through this very difficult time.
This means the left side of the heart isn’t formed properly so his heart can’t support normal circulation around his body. Babies born with this condition need many surgeries to have a chance of survival. In Matthew’s case, the first will be open heart surgery when he is just 3 days old, followed by one at 3 months and another at 3 years.
The grim reality is that they currently face a very uncertain future. Angela, Chris, and their 2-year-old son, Sam, must relocate from Canberra to Sydney for an unknown period of time. This means they can’t give up their home in Canberra, and must also pay for a place to stay in Sydney. Angela will not be able to work, caring for both Sam and Matthew, and Chris can take some extended leave but they may then need to face temporary separation for Chris to come back to Canberra to work so they can make ends meet.
The ongoing costs of this condition are also not to be discounted, there will be many more appointments, check ups and potential surgeries required, not to mention the cost of various therapies to help a child understand their limitations and live with his diagnosis.
Many of Angela and Chris’s friends are feeling helpless, wanting to help but not knowing how. Well, in my opinion, this is how. They have many worries to bear, but if you can help even a little bit by reducing some of the financial strain which they will face, then you have done a good thing for which they will be forever grateful.
Please consider donating, as much as you can to help Angela, Chris, Sam and Matthew through this very difficult time.
Organizer
Allison Scholar
Organizer
Dunlop, ACT