Cindy & her family need our help!

In November 2023, Cindy started to become breathless and was hospitalised with pneumonia. A chest scan revealed she has significant scarring in both lungs and it was subsequently confirmed she had a connective tissue disease, which attacked her lungs, causing multiple lung infections, chronic inflammation and a condition known as interstitial lung disease, (ILD). ILD is term used for a large group of diseases that cause scarring (fibrosis) of the lungs. The scarring causes stiffness in the lungs which makes it difficult to breathe and get oxygen to the bloodstream. Lung damage from ILDs is often irreversible and gets worse over time.

Doctors tried treating Cindy’s ILD, with chemotherapy, steroids, and immune suppressants drugs, in combination with high does of antibiotics. During this next four months, Cindy’s health declined and she spent most of 2024, between the Royal Womens Base Hospital, (RWBH), and the Rockhampton Base Hospital. Despite her condition Cindy’s only wish was to come home and be with her children who she missed terribly. At Easter this year Cindy fought to spend four days with her family at home in Gracemere before pain took over and she was rushed to hospital. The following day Cindy nearly lost her life, the condition of her lungs was so severe, it caused the right side of her heart to enlarge in her body causing pulmonary hypertension. From what we know pulmonary hypertension is where blood vessels in the lungs are narrowed, blocked or destroyed. The damage slows blood flow through the lungs. Blood pressure in the lung arteries goes up. The heart must work harder to pump blood through the lungs. The extra effort eventually causes the heart muscle to become weak and fail. On Friday night last week, Cindy’s heart and other organs began to shut down, she went into shock and she nearly lost her life.

The ICU staff at Rocky Base, rushed to place Cindy on a ventilator, and a Team of specialists from the Prince Charles Hospital, flew to Rockhampton, with an ECMO machine and Cindy was placed on life support, and flown back to Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane. At this point Cindy remains on this ECMO machine, a form of life support for people with life-threatening illness or injury that affects the function of their heart or lungs. ECMO keeps blood moving through the body and keeps blood gasses (oxygen and carbon dioxide) in balance. It is hoped this will buy time for Cindy.

We’ve been told by the consultants that Cindy’s lungs are irreparable and a double lung transplant is her only option. She remains unconscious right now, and this is a terribly stressful time for her children, her family and friends. Specialists from the Transplant Team have said for a lung transplant to be considered, family support is imperative for her recovery.

For those who know Cindy, would only describe her as having a kind nature and loving soul, who would go out of her way to help anyone.

She has spent her career caring for children, running her own family home daycare centre where not only the kids adored her the parents also did. Being an amazing mother & step mother to also taking on care for her nephew & niece and now kindship carer of them both. She supports her local football team being a manager of her son’s team, a member of the local Muay Thai college.

There really isn’t enough words to describe Cindy & how loving & caring she is.

This is going to be a long road ahead for Cindy and her family financially so any support would be greatly appreciated.