Support Lauren & Mark Aberle

***UPDATE 28th Oct***

Thank you for all the donations and support.

Lauren is back home now, but her vision is impaired making it difficult for her to see and she is weak from not eating for a week. Her tongue is still healing from where it was bitten during a seizure making it hard for her to eat. There is a lot of physical healing that requires a lot of rest.

Lauren is not allowed to drive for a minimum of six months. As a photographer the combination of her vision and the inability to transport herself to and from shoots makes her unable to return to work for the foreseeable future.

The road ahead for this family is still long as they try to recover and find the space to grieve. Any support whether sending love, donating or sharing their story is greatly appreciated.

***UPDATE***

It is with very heavy hearts we announce the birth and passing of Lauren and Mark's baby boy, Kai.

Due to complications with his birth, Lauren is currently in the ICU with severe pain, restricted use of her lower limbs and has been having seizures due to lack of spinal fluid around her brain. She has been told she will be in the ICU for quite some time. Mark has not left her side.

At this point Mark and Lauren are both unable to work and there is no clear answer of how long this is going to take to resolve.

They need the financial support now more than ever to ensure they can keep paying rent and bills and support the girls at home.

If you would like to donate directly, reach out for how you can.

Please send them love and healing energy, prayers and good thoughts.

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After what was meant to be the best year filled with marriage and a new baby, Lauren and Mark Aberle have been living a parents worst nightmare and spent the last few months juggling heart wrenching appointments and medical decisions for the little man Lauren has growing in her belly and they need some support from their community.

After what seemed like a text book pregnancy, a few months ago something was flagged in a routine scan and started a cascade of tests and appointments with specialists.

On the 13th of September their little man was formally diagnosed with a dural sinus malformation. They were referred down to Westmead in Sydney and the brain surgeon there confirmed that it is the worst case of the malformation in documented history.

Mark and Lauren are now already having to travel down to Sydney regularly for all their appointments, scans and to make plans for the challenges that lay ahead. Their little guy will need to be born in Sydney sometime in the coming weeks and taken for immediate surgery with Lauren and the baby staying down in Sydney for at least the remainder of 2023 and likely into the start of 2024.

The situation is being monitored week by week with constant travel to and from Sydney for all appointments. It is important that Mark is at these appointments as well in case action needs to be taken on the day and so it has become increasingly difficult for them to juggle work and being in Sydney.

Both Mark and Lauren are self employed and this situation is already seriously taking its toll on them financially with limited ability to work. They have three other children at home in Maitland, as well as rent, bills, food etc., to cover and now constant travel expenses and upcoming accomodation and expenses of having to stay in Sydney for several weeks.

Once they are finally able to come home they are looking at further operations every 6-8 weeks for the first 12 months, all taking place in Sydney and requiring travel costs, accomodation while also providing a situation that is going to make it very difficult for them to easily and consistently work.

At this point Lauren is pushing her body to her own detriment by continuing to photograph her beautiful clients. She needs to rest and prepare for what is ahead so she can be strong for their little man while they go through what most of us could never imagine. Mark will continue to work as much as he can to carry that load, but there is only so much he can do between the travel to Sydney and taking care of the three girls and it would be best for Lauren and the baby if Mark can be there as much as possible too.

Many people have reached out to Lauren and Mark asking how they can help. While the emotional stress cannot be alleviated, the financial stress can. If you are able to contribute anything to their family to help make this highly stressful situation any easier for them at all, they are forever grateful.