Lee-Ann & Greg Nolan

A PORT IN A STORM THE GOFUNDME STORY OF GREG AND LEE-ANN NOLAN Greg and Lee-Ann Nolan and daughters Isobel, Lily and Eliza set off with good friends the Connolly's for a restful week's holiday in Port Macquarie on July 13. Like everyone else they work hard and have had their share of good times and tragedies. Greg was happily contemplating his not-so-far-off retirement from his job as a primary school teacher and he and the family were seriously considering making the move to Port, so they were excited to explore their new potential home. They have a good network of friends, family and congregation. Within 24 hours of arrival in Port, Greg found himself in a really bad way in Port Base hospital. Bad pain, immune system in tatters, kidney function dangerously low. He woke in the Oncology section to be informed that extensive overnight testing revealed he has a serious cancer condition called Multiple Myeloma. Chemotherapy is required along with other urgent medical procedures. Greg has visited many others in hospitals over the years but apart from appendicitis decades before, and the odd scrape, has never really been a patient himself. This is completely unknown territory for him. Port Macquarie has become a Port in a Storm The next morning on hearing news of Greg's condition, his beloved wife, Lee-Ann along with besties, the Connolly's, organised to get to the hospital asap to support their Brother.  Lee-Ann unfortunately misjudged the traffic flow and walked into the path of a young driver, doing absolutely nothing wrong, sustaining multiple serious fractures to her head, pelvis and legs and bleeding from the ear. She was gently supported at the scene then rushed to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle, as their caring staff specialise in these sorts of emergency. Newcastle too has become a Port in a Storm. Greg was informed by his courageous friend Steve back at Port Base what happened to Lee-Ann. Greg thought it had to be a nightmare. "I will wake up soon and we can all go for a nice coffee on the beach", but through the misty fog of medication and lack of all sleep it became clear this wasn't going away anytime soon. Word got out and everyone from friends in their rural hometown of Kyogle Northern NSW through to family in far flung Adelaide quickly mobilise to help. Literally hundreds of calls, texts, offers of help, many traveling long distances to get there. And remember, the world is in the worst pandemic in living memory and resources are already stretched to capacity in many places. As offers of help continue to grow the Nolans have decided to accept the setting up of this GOFUNDME page. JW's, the faith to which the Nolan family belong, believe in the principle that "there is more happiness in giving than in receiving" and the many offers of help they have received may be best coordinated in this way. The Nolans now need to set up accommodation and access to the expert medical services in Port Macquarie. Greg 's immune will need constant vigilance. Lee-Ann will need extensive rehab.  The Nolan family have moved here but not the way they planned. Both Greg and Lee-Ann are unable to work as result, and their primary concern is to get well and keep the family together. With help they are transporting their lives to Port one little bit at a time. Please accept our profound thanks for your help at this delicate time.  Greg and Lee-Ann also strongly invite you to log onto JW.ORG, the free multi-language worldwide website of Jehovah's Witnesses to help your family to cope in these critical times. Don't try to do it on your own. It can be your Port in a Storm