Help Lachie live a normal life

When you look at our family photos, it doesn’t take long to realise something is missing. We have hundreds of photos of family barbecues, camping trips and cricket matches at the local park and the one thing they all have in common – my son, Lachie isn’t in them. Or if he is, he’s too exhausted to join in the fun. He was once a bright young man who had it all mapped out. He was going to get a job at 14, save up for a car, volunteer at the animal shelter and study to become a vet. But that was before Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome – POTS for short – robbed him of everything. POTS is a heart condition that causes nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches and pain. It means when he stands up from the couch, his heart beats double the pace it should, leaving him light-headed and exhausted. He also has acute stomach pain, constant headaches and to make things even worse, he’s developed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This makes doing everyday things almost impossible. If Lachie kicks a footy around for a few minutes, he’ll be unwell for a week. We took him to see his grandparents at Easter and the trip put so much strain on his body that he still hasn’t recovered. Most of the time, his illness is so debilitating he’s bedridden, which just breaks my heart. He should be out having fun with his mates, working, studying, meeting girls. Instead, he spends most of his days sleeping. It’s not the life we were expecting for our 18-year-old son. Lachie’s only hope is treatment that could cost over $20,000. Offered at Monash Heart Hospital in Clayton, the treatment involves Intravenous immunoglobulin infusion – known as IVIg. Each infusion has out-of-pocket expenses of around $3000 and Lachie is likely to need up to 12 infusions. We won’t know until he starts treatment how quickly it will work for him. We’ve already spent everything we have on his treatment so far and we know we can’t do it without outside help. Since launching this campaign, many of you have given generously to help our beautiful son and we’re so grateful. Every dollar takes Lachie a step closer to having a normal life. But we still have a long way to go. If you haven’t had a chance to give yet or you’re worried that you can’t afford to give much, please be assured we are grateful for any support and every dollar counts. And if you can’t give financially, please help us spread the word by sharing Lachie’s story with your family and friends. You never know who might be moved by his situation and how much difference it could make to his future.