To all of you who have known Wendy over the past 30 years, I’m sharing her family’s story as the Dias’ are going through a challenging time, following their son Dante’s medical diagnosis earlier this year. Many of you have reached out to ask how you can help them. Below is a summary of what they’ve been navigating.

Dante has been diagnosed with severe Pectus Excavatum (a caved-in sternum), commonly known as sinking chest syndrome, along with Platythorax, a condition in which the entire chest wall is flat. Together, these conditions make his thoracic cavity extremely narrow from top to bottom. As Dante continues to grow, his sternum is continuously pulling inward, worsening the compression on his internal organs and increasing the impact on his health.

The primary concern is how this compression affects his heart and lungs. Multiple tests have confirmed that both organs are structurally healthy, which is excellent news. However, his heart is displaced / compressed, and so are his lungs compressed, preventing them from functioning at full capacity. For this reason, surgery is medically necessary, and the sooner the better.

This restricted function likely explains Dante’s fatigue, which he has endured for years and which has worsened alongside his pectus during recent growth spurts. His other symptoms include chest pain, dizziness and low exercise tolerance. Over the past year, Wendy and Daniele have noticed a clear impact on his quality of life, with more school absences and less desire for time with friends, or travel, due to his fatigue.

The required surgery (Nuss Procedure) will stabilise and reposition his chest wall. This is achieved by lifting his sternum, and inserting metal bars across his chest, beneath his rib cage and sternum. The goal is to lift his chest wall to restore normal structure, while allowing the ribs and cartilage to grow into the corrected position. The surgeon has advised that Dante will need three, possibly four bars to achieve this. The bars will remain in place for four years in which another surgery will be required to remove them.

NUSS Procedure

After months of multiple surgeon consults, research and consideration, Wendy and Daniele have decided to take Dante to the Phoenix Children’s Hospital in Arizona, USA for his surgery. While this procedure is available in Australia, it is performed less frequently than in the United States. This depth of experience, combined with bar innovation; technique refinement and significantly lower post-operative complication rates, were key factors in their decision. With more than one chest condition to manage - along with Dante’s hypermobility, which could possibly introduce a higher risk of recurrence after surgery - this decision was made with great care, especially given the logistical and financial challenges involved.

Thanks to family support, the Dias’ have funded the considerable cost of the surgery itself. However, they are still having to outlay for flights, accommodation, unpaid leave and medical insurance for the trip to the US in January ‘26.

It is my goal to take further financial stress out of the equation for this family that I deeply cherish, so any donation you can make would mean so much and be deeply appreciated. If you have any questions, please reach out to me through Facebook.

We are counting the days to seeing Dante well again! We love you Dante!