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When bad things happen to one parent it’s hard on a family, but when it hits the other parent as well, one is lost for words.
Sue and Richard “live” in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island. Richard has been an electrician for over 40 years. He was the guy that would always help you out, even after hours when needed.
In August 2018 whilst working on an industrial dishwasher Richard received a nasty electric shock. Miraculously he survived but severed his right thumb tendons as well as sustaining some burns. This put him off work and income for 3 months.
On Wednesday the 3rd of April 2019, after working with an increasing amount of undiagnosed chest pain, Richard was sent up to hospital in Adelaide for investigation. It was here Richard was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia or AML. Due to the nature of this cancer he needed Sue by his side all the time. They packed up in 4 days to make the move to Adelaide to fight this beast.
Sue continued to work as a bookkeeper and transcriber from Richard’s hospital bedside to keep some money coming in.
Many a time it’s been touch and go for Richard, with severe infections, bleeds, Code Blue’s and the list goes on. He has had well over 200 red blood cell and platelet transfusions, without which he would not be here.
Due to the remoteness of Kangaroo Island, Sue and Richard have been in the Leukemia Village in Adelaide. They had to leave their two daughters Hannah and Nicole on the Island. Hannah is 20 years old and was working on the island and Nicole managed to complete Year 12 in 2020 with good grades. These two girls did an amazing job managing a household, working and doing year 12 with a mother away and a father critically ill, and the odd visits to Adelaide.
Recently, Sue was faced with some medical issues of her own. Examinations revealed a large ovarian tumour, to be confirmed malignant, with surgery on the 2nd February, along with other symptoms including fluid on the lungs potentially coming from metastases. She is undergoing further testing as we write this.
Richard has undergone a second stem cell transplant in December 2020 as the first (Feb 2020) failed, and is currently discharged into Sue’s 24/7 care. Sue is still continuing to do her bookwork for clients and transcribing to keep up with the bills.
This is where we would love YOUR help. Sue really needs to stop working, stop worrying about the finances and be able to spend time with Richard, Hannah and Nicole.
Alone one cannot help them, but TOGETHER a lot of people all helping a little bit, can make a huge difference in the lives of Richard, Sue, Hannah and Nicole to ease the financial burden so that they can make the most of the time they have and have some security to leave to Hannah and Nicole should our worst fears be confirmed.
We open this Go Fund Me Page in the hope that from the goodwill of others the financial stress of having to try to keep working under these circumstances, can be taken off Sue's back and that they can spend quality family time together.
The Fundraiser has been set up by close family friends of Richard and Sue, Renè Steyn and Sankara Sullivan.
The Funds will be sent to a bank account that has been set up in the name of Richard and Sue Symens, and overseen jointly by Renè and Sankara.
We know that Sue and Richard would absolutely be overcome with gratitude during a time when there is so much going on in the world.
Sue and Richard “live” in Kingscote, Kangaroo Island. Richard has been an electrician for over 40 years. He was the guy that would always help you out, even after hours when needed.
In August 2018 whilst working on an industrial dishwasher Richard received a nasty electric shock. Miraculously he survived but severed his right thumb tendons as well as sustaining some burns. This put him off work and income for 3 months.
On Wednesday the 3rd of April 2019, after working with an increasing amount of undiagnosed chest pain, Richard was sent up to hospital in Adelaide for investigation. It was here Richard was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia or AML. Due to the nature of this cancer he needed Sue by his side all the time. They packed up in 4 days to make the move to Adelaide to fight this beast.
Sue continued to work as a bookkeeper and transcriber from Richard’s hospital bedside to keep some money coming in.
Many a time it’s been touch and go for Richard, with severe infections, bleeds, Code Blue’s and the list goes on. He has had well over 200 red blood cell and platelet transfusions, without which he would not be here.
Due to the remoteness of Kangaroo Island, Sue and Richard have been in the Leukemia Village in Adelaide. They had to leave their two daughters Hannah and Nicole on the Island. Hannah is 20 years old and was working on the island and Nicole managed to complete Year 12 in 2020 with good grades. These two girls did an amazing job managing a household, working and doing year 12 with a mother away and a father critically ill, and the odd visits to Adelaide.
Recently, Sue was faced with some medical issues of her own. Examinations revealed a large ovarian tumour, to be confirmed malignant, with surgery on the 2nd February, along with other symptoms including fluid on the lungs potentially coming from metastases. She is undergoing further testing as we write this.
Richard has undergone a second stem cell transplant in December 2020 as the first (Feb 2020) failed, and is currently discharged into Sue’s 24/7 care. Sue is still continuing to do her bookwork for clients and transcribing to keep up with the bills.
This is where we would love YOUR help. Sue really needs to stop working, stop worrying about the finances and be able to spend time with Richard, Hannah and Nicole.
Alone one cannot help them, but TOGETHER a lot of people all helping a little bit, can make a huge difference in the lives of Richard, Sue, Hannah and Nicole to ease the financial burden so that they can make the most of the time they have and have some security to leave to Hannah and Nicole should our worst fears be confirmed.
We open this Go Fund Me Page in the hope that from the goodwill of others the financial stress of having to try to keep working under these circumstances, can be taken off Sue's back and that they can spend quality family time together.
The Fundraiser has been set up by close family friends of Richard and Sue, Renè Steyn and Sankara Sullivan.
The Funds will be sent to a bank account that has been set up in the name of Richard and Sue Symens, and overseen jointly by Renè and Sankara.
We know that Sue and Richard would absolutely be overcome with gratitude during a time when there is so much going on in the world.