This page is set up to raise funds for our dear friend and colleague, artist and craftsperson Simon Cottrell.

Simon urgently needs our help to:

1. Purchase a life-saving automated insulin pump (a ‘Tandem T-slim’ type, current cost around 9000 AUD)

2. Be able to pay for much needed medical treatments, some of which Simon has already had to delay due to the cost. The estimated medical bill total is around 10,000 AUD.

Any contribution, big or small, or even sharing this page, means the world to us.

In Simon’s own words:

‘For the last 6 years I've not been physically able to achieve pretty much anything other than just staying alive, which has only been possible by the gracious assistance from many charity organisations and disability advocacy support workers, and in kind-help from anyone within reach.

I'm still needing to sleep two full days just to be able to be able to survive one fully functional day, to be able to achieve basic tasks (without needing to curl up or collapse).

For years, all of my specialists have been trying to help me balance the chaos that my seven auto-immune chronic health issues, each with their own often incompatible treatment plans, bring.

Then, five weeks ago, my new and brilliant Endocrinologist acknowledged the state of emergency I've been in, and made clear sense of all the last five years of data. He said:

”The easiest way out of this is an insulin pump, as it will automatically remove at least half of the unpredictable uncontrollable variables that seem hell bent on sending you to emergency."

The data visualisation in the page main image is the simplest way to illustrate how well the Insulin Pump is assisting so far with one of many issues (I'm only 5 weeks into a free 2 month loan so far). Needless to say I'm beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.

So I'm now in the scary yet awkward predicament of purchasing a $9000 AUD piece of medical equipment while I'm more destitute than I've ever imagined possible. Simultaneously, I’m still trying to save up for the approximately $10,000 AUD for other treatments I'm long overdue, to solve other issues that have arisen over the last 6 years — all while trying to survive on a Disability Support Pension that barely covers my currently meagre cost of living.

The automatic insulin pump and the means to seek treatment to several medical conditions would help in stabilising my protesting body enough to survive, and importantly, being able to work and use my hands again — in short, it would be a huge step towards getting my life back after several physically and mentally debilitating years.’

We really appreciate your help, big or small. Please contact us for any questions or more detailed info about anything, We’ll share updates as things progress.

With deep gratitude,

Inari Kiuru and Leah Teschendorff (organisers) with Simon Cottrell.