Ivan's Life
Donation protected
Enya is a young, single mother and friend of my daughter, Kristy. I have been moved to tears when I think of the courage and enduring love Enya has for her son, Ivan. It's a story you need to read and feel, so please take these 2 minutes to understand why I've started this fund me campaign and why every one of us can do some great things by giving so little to good people like Enya and Ivan.
On 2nd May 2015, Ivan was a 9 year old, happy and healthy boy. Full of fun, loved his football and was always ready with a smile and helping hand. At such a young age he was already an 'old soul' and was loved by so many people in the community where Enya and Ivan lived.
On 3rd May 2015, their world was turned upside down. Within a space of 2 hours, Ivan had 4 heart attacks! He was on life support for 2 months and during that time had open heart surgery, was on dialysis machine for the failing kidneys, had respirator tubes in his lungs and lines and lines of IV.
This once healthy boy was left with 89% brain damage (capacity of a 2 1/2 year old), complete blindness and he lost all speech and mobility. Enya left her work and for the next 9 months she was at the hospital every day, doing what the public hospital system had little time for. Enya sang him songs (his favourite singer is Taylor Swift), read him books (Harry Potter), massaged him, talked to him, held him. One day he opened his eyes for just 2 seconds. Next he started communicating by opening his finger on his left hand, for 'yes' and closing it for 'no' . That was when Enya knew her time with Ivan was helping. So over the next 5 months, she did all she could to give Ivan a quality of life and get him medically stable enough to take him home. By November 2015 Enya was able to bring Ivan home for Christmas and become his full time carer.
There have been many ups and downs and Enya is not one to ask anyone for help, which is one of the main reasons I'm asking everyone to help.
Today, Ivan is confined to a wheelchair, is peg fed (by a tube into his stomach), blind but can talk a little bit with lots of stuttering, about his favourite subjects (Taylor Swift, Collingwood Football Club, Harry Potter and his favourite book 'Gangster Granny' by David Williams).
His prognosis is an ongoing life threatening condition. He has congenital heart disease, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and is blind.
Enya needs help and as importantly, she needs to know that people do care; that there are good people in this world that can and do help strangers.
Enya has exhausted any savings she did have when she was working 3 years ago and has sold most of what she has to continue to provide the support that Ivan needs. The fortnightly funds she receives do not cover her basic living expenses because of two main large ongoing expenses.
To be independent and continue to look after Ivan, she needs to do 2 things:
1) Move to a co-op home in the Melbourne area, where the rent is low and guaranteed it will be her and Ivan's home for life. To do this she needs $10,000 to convert the home's bathroom into a disabled access bathroom.
2) Buy the Kia Carnival vehicle that is modified for wheelchair access. Enya has been renting this vehicle for the last 3 years, at $3,100 per month because she doesn't have a job, she couldn't get a loan so is paying a very high rental fee. This is why she has exhausted any savings she had and has sold off most of what she owned. So that's $93,000 she has spent renting a vehicle that when brand new, would cost around $80,000 (with modifications). Enya has contacted the owner of this rental vehicle and has confirmed she can buy this second hand fully equipped vehicle for $30,000.
These two changes would mean that Enya could afford the basic necessities to support Ivan on an ongoing basis. Who knows, maybe she could also take him to swim with the dolphins one day, which is the one thing he keeps telling his mum he wants to do.
Please help. Every dollar will get us closer to giving Ivan and Enya an easier life than it is today.
Please pledge some dollars and share with everyone. I know this is a community that will help those in genuine need.
Thank you
https://youtu.be/xUY4aDueO_c
GoFundMe have asked me to add a little bit more information, so here goes.
My name is Julie O'Shea. I have lived in Mullumbimby area of upper NSW for the past 2 1/2 years, after having lived in Melbourne for 28 years and in country towns (Chinchilla, Redland Bay, Tamworth, Maitland, Muswellbrook) for the previous 28 years.
Kristy my daughter, introduced me to her dear friend, Enya, a couple of years ago. They live in Melbourne where I frequently visit my daughter and grandchildren. Only recently did Enya reach out for help when she had run out of any savings she had or stuff to sell to keep renting the vehicle. That's when I learned of Enya's hardship and was very willing to step in and help her.
The funds will be specifically spent in two areas - 1) to buy Enya a car that can transport Ivan, so must have special mobility access, so Enya no longer needs to pay the $3,000 per month to rent a car & 2) to renovate the bathroom into the community housing home she has applied to get into, as they don't have any homes with disability access bathrooms. We estimate $30,000 for the car (for a 2010 to 2012 model but with full disability access) and $10,000 for the bathroom renovation.
I have set up an account for Enya and Ivan, where the funds go. Enya's friends are also doing fund raisers (bbq's etc) so the money goes into this account to, so it is ready to buy her car or pay for the bathroom renovation.
Thank you again for all your support.
On 2nd May 2015, Ivan was a 9 year old, happy and healthy boy. Full of fun, loved his football and was always ready with a smile and helping hand. At such a young age he was already an 'old soul' and was loved by so many people in the community where Enya and Ivan lived.
On 3rd May 2015, their world was turned upside down. Within a space of 2 hours, Ivan had 4 heart attacks! He was on life support for 2 months and during that time had open heart surgery, was on dialysis machine for the failing kidneys, had respirator tubes in his lungs and lines and lines of IV.
This once healthy boy was left with 89% brain damage (capacity of a 2 1/2 year old), complete blindness and he lost all speech and mobility. Enya left her work and for the next 9 months she was at the hospital every day, doing what the public hospital system had little time for. Enya sang him songs (his favourite singer is Taylor Swift), read him books (Harry Potter), massaged him, talked to him, held him. One day he opened his eyes for just 2 seconds. Next he started communicating by opening his finger on his left hand, for 'yes' and closing it for 'no' . That was when Enya knew her time with Ivan was helping. So over the next 5 months, she did all she could to give Ivan a quality of life and get him medically stable enough to take him home. By November 2015 Enya was able to bring Ivan home for Christmas and become his full time carer.
There have been many ups and downs and Enya is not one to ask anyone for help, which is one of the main reasons I'm asking everyone to help.
Today, Ivan is confined to a wheelchair, is peg fed (by a tube into his stomach), blind but can talk a little bit with lots of stuttering, about his favourite subjects (Taylor Swift, Collingwood Football Club, Harry Potter and his favourite book 'Gangster Granny' by David Williams).
His prognosis is an ongoing life threatening condition. He has congenital heart disease, cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury and is blind.
Enya needs help and as importantly, she needs to know that people do care; that there are good people in this world that can and do help strangers.
Enya has exhausted any savings she did have when she was working 3 years ago and has sold most of what she has to continue to provide the support that Ivan needs. The fortnightly funds she receives do not cover her basic living expenses because of two main large ongoing expenses.
To be independent and continue to look after Ivan, she needs to do 2 things:
1) Move to a co-op home in the Melbourne area, where the rent is low and guaranteed it will be her and Ivan's home for life. To do this she needs $10,000 to convert the home's bathroom into a disabled access bathroom.
2) Buy the Kia Carnival vehicle that is modified for wheelchair access. Enya has been renting this vehicle for the last 3 years, at $3,100 per month because she doesn't have a job, she couldn't get a loan so is paying a very high rental fee. This is why she has exhausted any savings she had and has sold off most of what she owned. So that's $93,000 she has spent renting a vehicle that when brand new, would cost around $80,000 (with modifications). Enya has contacted the owner of this rental vehicle and has confirmed she can buy this second hand fully equipped vehicle for $30,000.
These two changes would mean that Enya could afford the basic necessities to support Ivan on an ongoing basis. Who knows, maybe she could also take him to swim with the dolphins one day, which is the one thing he keeps telling his mum he wants to do.
Please help. Every dollar will get us closer to giving Ivan and Enya an easier life than it is today.
Please pledge some dollars and share with everyone. I know this is a community that will help those in genuine need.
Thank you
https://youtu.be/xUY4aDueO_c
GoFundMe have asked me to add a little bit more information, so here goes.
My name is Julie O'Shea. I have lived in Mullumbimby area of upper NSW for the past 2 1/2 years, after having lived in Melbourne for 28 years and in country towns (Chinchilla, Redland Bay, Tamworth, Maitland, Muswellbrook) for the previous 28 years.
Kristy my daughter, introduced me to her dear friend, Enya, a couple of years ago. They live in Melbourne where I frequently visit my daughter and grandchildren. Only recently did Enya reach out for help when she had run out of any savings she had or stuff to sell to keep renting the vehicle. That's when I learned of Enya's hardship and was very willing to step in and help her.
The funds will be specifically spent in two areas - 1) to buy Enya a car that can transport Ivan, so must have special mobility access, so Enya no longer needs to pay the $3,000 per month to rent a car & 2) to renovate the bathroom into the community housing home she has applied to get into, as they don't have any homes with disability access bathrooms. We estimate $30,000 for the car (for a 2010 to 2012 model but with full disability access) and $10,000 for the bathroom renovation.
I have set up an account for Enya and Ivan, where the funds go. Enya's friends are also doing fund raisers (bbq's etc) so the money goes into this account to, so it is ready to buy her car or pay for the bathroom renovation.
Thank you again for all your support.
Organizer
Julie O'Shea
Organizer
Mullumbimby, NSW