Support for Andrei & Kristy: Battling a Debilitating illness

Hi, my name is Brooke, Sister to Kristy and Aunty to Andrei and Aly. I’m reaching out on behalf of my family as we navigate an incredibly challenging time.

Anyone that knows my sister knows she has never asked for help from anyone in her life.

My sister, a single mom of two - Andrei (14) and Aly (13)—is dealing with the severe and complex illness of her son, Andrei. Our family has faced hardship before, having lost our mother when we were young, and my father stepped in as our single carer. Now, he’s stepped in once again to help his grandchildren through a crisis.

Andrei was born with autism, and he has always been a gentle, sweet soul with a beautiful spirit. Recently, though, Andreis autism has evolved into excited, hyperkinetic & malignant catatonia - a rare and severe neurological disorder that causes extreme agitation, repetitive behaviours, and life threatening malignancy, where the brains automatic system shuts down. Catatonia can become lethal.

Our father, and Andreis father have had to leave their jobs to provide Kristy, Andrei & Aly with round-the-clock support and protection, making it nearly impossible for us to keep up with the financial burden this has caused.

Despite multiple hospital visits, we keep being discharged, told to rely on NDIS support, leaving our family with barely any options. Andrei has received limited assistance through the NDIS, it only covers 10 hours of care a week—a fraction of what is needed—and that funding is running low.

We are in a fight to save his life.

We’re now turning to our community for help. Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference in helping us get the care Andrei needs and relieve some of the financial stress for our family. We are deeply grateful for any help you can offer.

My heartfelt thanks,

Brooke