Support Lewis on his long road back to health

This is Lewis, the most incredible young human. He has a resilience and quiet courage that belies his 16 years, but that is being really tested at the moment. At the age of 5 Lewis was diagnosed with a severe genetic heart condition called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM). Right now, Lewis is at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne following his fourth cardiac arrest, with a very long and challenging road to recovery ahead.

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy is a genetic condition that changes the anatomy of the heart, specifically thickening the muscle (septum) that separates the left and right lower chambers. While in an average person the septal thickness is around 11-13mm, in mild cases it can be 14-16mm. Lewis's case is severe: the thickness is 30mm. This puts immense strain on his heart.

Lewis suffered his first cardiac arrest in March 2019 at a beachside park in Altona. Fortunately, his parents were prepared and were carrying an external defibrillator. After 90 seconds and one life-saving shock, Lewis was saved and rushed to hospital. Following this, he underwent open heart surgery to implant an Internal Cardio Defibrillator (ICD).

In February 2024 and June 2024, Lewis suffered another two cardiac arrests, saved on both occasions by two shocks from his ICD. Just a few months ago, on Easter Thursday, he faced yet another serious heart event – not a full arrest, but with heart attack-like symptoms – and he remained conscious through it all. This left him very weak, struggling to walk even short distances, and it has been a very slow recovery at home.

Unfortunately, on the morning of Thursday, June 20th, Lewis suffered his fourth cardiac arrest at home. He was rushed to hospital and is now under the expert care of the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne – a stay that is expected to last months, not just weeks. Lewis’s case is complex. His medical team are reviewing all options and engaging a multidisciplinary group of specialists to care for Lewis over the next few months and bring him back to health.

Lewis is known for his incredible bravery, his kindness and his cheeky sense of humour. He loves his sports, and despite restrictions due to his condition – no running, cycling, swimming or physical exertion – his passion remains unquelled. He's a proud Richmond Football Club member, an avid NBA fan, and a keen follower of the NFL. He hopes to study Sports Science and pursue coaching. He also loves his music, and can often be heard playing his guitar. Most of all, Lewis loves his friends and family, and spending time with them. This makes his extended stay in hospital all the more challenging.

His friends and loved ones have seen first hand how much strength and resilience this journey demands of the whole family. We think they are amazing. But it has been incredibly challenging and there is a long road ahead. His parents are now balancing their time between homelife in Ballarat and the RCH in Melbourne to ensure that Lewis has someone with him every step of the way.

We want to rally a wave of support around them during this difficult and uncertain period. There will be significant costs during Lewis's hospital stay and beyond. Our goal is to raise funds to help alleviate the financial burden of this extended medical crisis as well as to help plan for the future.

All funds will be managed transparently by his parents, Neil and Stephanie Wilson, to support Lewis’s ongoing care. This will include travel and accommodation expenses for his parents over the coming months while Lewis is at the RCH. In addition, his family will establish a fund to provide longer-term financial support for Lewis's needs as he finishes school and starts planning his future.

Your contribution, no matter how small, will make a huge difference in Lewis’s journey and enable his family to focus on the most important things. If you're unable to donate, please consider sharing this campaign widely with your friends, family, and networks. Spreading Lewis's story is just as vital in helping us rally a community of support around him.

You can also send messages of encouragement to Lewis and his family, offer practical help to them if you're local, and keep them in your thoughts. Thank you for being an important part of Lewis’s road to recovery!