Help Nikki & Lachie Battle Child Leukaemia

Nikki and Lachie were living a normal country family life on their small property half an hour from Scone, in the Hunter Valley with their lovely 6- and 4-year-old kids, Avianna, and Dougie, until April this year. Lachie and Nikki have been together for nearly 20 years after meeting in Denman when Nikki was on a working holiday. They later moved to the Northern Territory to work on a cattle station before moving back to the Hunter. Lachie has spent most of his life working on boats and properties around the NT and Hunter Valley, and more recently as a heavy vehicle driver for cattle, horses, and the council. Nikki is currently the practice manager (and so much more) for an equine practice in Scone, having spent much of her adult life as an accomplished vet nurse and manager on stud farms in the UK and the Hunter Valley.

 

 

In early April, Avi (6-yo) was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia, and their whole lives have been thrown into stress and turmoil. She has been in Newcastle's John Hunter Children’s Hospital undergoing chemotherapy and intense monitoring and prevention for sepsis, which is a significant risk factor following depletion of bone marrow cells. Every time she eats, there is an oral hygiene process requiring three washes, and any change in heart rate or temperature requires multiple blood cultures and monitoring for infection.

 

There aren’t words to describe what Avi and her family are going through - the treatments have required numerous general anaesthetics each week and regular blood transfusions, as well as multiple treatments and samples from the spinal canal and bone marrow.

 

They have just received some encouraging news that the initial response to the first 4-weeks of chemotherapy appears to be good, and Avi is now classified in the high-risk favourable. She starts another gruelling 60-day block of chemotherapy with 4-days on - 4-days off leg injections, orals, and weekly intrathecal and intravenous chemotherapy. Following a lighter 60-day period, there is another 60-day intense treatment period with extensive periods of hospitalisation expected. All being well, there will be 20-months of maintenance treatment, and it is hoped Avi will be able to return to school in 18-months.

 

 

During this time, the family will be based around Newcastle, and we want to raise money so that Lachie can stay there as her full-time carer and they don’t need to worry about regular employment or money during that time. There will be substantial associated costs mounting up while they are basing themselves in Newcastle, away from their property, and they’ve had recent bad luck with one of their cars and are currently sharing one car. Without being able to do much to help them during this awful period - we’d like to be able to at least offer financial support to help them with their vehicles, mortgage and ongoing costs and give them one less thing to worry about.

 

I’m sure most of you will be glad of the opportunity to be able to show Lachie, Nikki, Avi and Dougie our love and support whilst they navigate their way through this frightening time. Every donation will be gratefully received no matter how small and go directly to the family. If you would like to help in another way, perhaps talk to Bridget or Sarah at Hunter Equine Centre. Thank you to everyone for your enquiries and concern during this time.