Help Tarj, our little fighter, on his recovery

Please help get our little man, Tarj, on the road to recovery.

 

My name is Jaimi Colquhoun, sister of Stacy and Aunty of Tarj, located in the Illawarra. 

Tarj is a kind hearted, caring and loving 12 year old boy who enjoys water skiing, motorbike riding, mountain bike riding and his beloved PlayStation.

 

Unfortunately, on Saturday 30th October 2021, Tarj was involved in a tragic accident at Gerringong Falls. Tarj had a beautiful day having spent the day mountain bike riding, hiking and swimming in the falls with his family when he simply lost his footing whilst hiking back up the falls, tumbling down the ravine until reaching a cliff face where he fell 15-metres to the ground. An unconscious Tarj was able to be reached by his mother and grandfather and held for three hours while waiting for Emergency services to arrive. The longest three hours of their lives and something that they will never forget and something that no parent or grandparent should ever have to endure. Despite the severity of the fall and injuries, Tarj is a little fighter and clung to life throughout the ordeal.

 

Tarj was flown to Randwick Children’s Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to release swelling and pressure on his brain, he remains in a medically induced coma in the Intensive Care Unit with round the clock care in a critical but stable condition.  So far, we know Tarj has suffered severe brain injuries with three bleeds on his brain, a broken tibia and fibula, fractured eye socket in three places, and as well as significant bruising to his body and possibly other injuries yet to be discovered. To date an MRI hasn’t been able to be conducted to ascertain whether there has been any neck or spinal damage sustained in the fall due to Tarj’s condition being so unstable.

His parents, Stacy and Darren of course dropped everything and have not left his side. We are all hoping and praying for a full recovery, but the extent of his brain injuries is not yet known and there is still the uncertainty around whether or not any spinal damage has been sustained. It’s a waiting game that the family wishes upon nobody.

We are bracing for a long and difficult recovery journey Stacy and Darren facing many expenses to be able to be there to support Tarj through this long difficult road to recovery both while he is in hospital and assist in any modifications or care that might be required in the future.

We ask everyone to dig deep, with any donation no matter how big or small will helping Tarj and his family through this long journey. Stacy and Darren will be remaining in Sydney by Tarj’s side until he can come home so we are raising money to keep them afloat during this horrific time that no parent should ever have to go through.

Donations will be used to cover accommodation expenses, out of pocket medical expenses, potential rehabilitation expenses, and day to day costs that wages would normally cover - given the expected timeframe, they will likely be on little to no income for the duration.

This tragedy has changed Tarj and all of our families lives forever and we are all absolutely devastated and feeling more helpless than ever. Let this be a reminder that life is precious, hug the ones you love as you never know when a tragic accident could change everything in an instant.

We thank you for any support you may give during this awful time. To take the pressure off Stacy and Darren, I will manage this page along with my cousin Emily and distribute the funds to Stacy and Darren on a monthly basis or as needed. 

Our kind-hearted, strong young man.