Imogen’s battle - Glioblastoma Multiforme (cGBM)
Donation protected
|| A Brief Update ||
~ Feb 15th, 2024 ~
It’s been a long 4 years. To those who have been following this story throughout, thank you for your care & support.
Practical ways you can support the Rea family at the moment include the following:
1. Signing up to provide the family with a meal
https://mealtrain.com/wd6w3e
2. Continuing to pray & send messages of support
3. Continuing to donate to this GoFundMe
While this campaign has been active for the duration of Immy’s battle with Glioblastoma, the financial pressures are ongoing. Christie, Brad & the girls have all made significant sacrifices in their valiant efforts to provide Immy with the best possible life. At this point, you have contributed nearly $155,000 to help their family stay afloat - this has been a pivotal factor in their existence over these 4 years. At a glance, this seems like a lot of money, however it pales in comparison with the substantial costs of keeping their family safe on one income.
A few considerations:
1. Christie has been unable to work, which has forced them live on a single income.
2. Brad has needed to take significant time off work to care for the girls during lockdowns in 2020 & 2021. Along with this, he has done lengthy stays in hospital to support Immy when Christie needed a reprieve - particularly over the last few months of Immy’s battle:
3. Christie has given up Doctoral Studies at Newcastle University, which would have advanced her career trajectory.
4. Medicare & Private Health Insurance haven’t covered the costs of specific medications & home medical equipment that worked best for Immy. These costs were significant. Your donations made these essential treatments possible - THANK YOU!!!
5. A simple meal or drink in a hospital kiosk or food court is expensive. Multiply these costs over 4 years & the expense is mind-boggling
6. One of the more difficult aspects of the past few years are the complexities they faced when dealing with Centrelink. This is a topic I’ll leave to Brad & Christie to comment further on. However, it’s such a shame that Cancer Families are left to fend for themselves by our social support services here in Australia.
When you think of how far $155,000 goes when you line it up next this small (and incomplete) list of challenges faced by Brad & Christie, it’s incredible they were able to make these generous donations stretch out so long.
Your ongoing support to help Christie & Brad to recover emotionally, mentally, spiritually & financially is greatly valued.
Update - June 2020
Over the last week, Imogen has undergone a series of tests to determine the success of chemotherapy treatments during the last few months.
After the MRI, Christie & Brad received the news that the original tumour hasn’t shrunk as the doctors had hoped, and that there was a secondary brain tumour growing nearby. This heartbreaking news has hit the family hard, and they are requesting prayers of support & are praying for a miracle of full & complete healing.
The family has requested that we share the name of this specific type of cancer so friends & family can be aware of the magnitude of the illness. If you’re wanting more information, please take the time to read up on Congenital Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade 4 (abbreviation: cGBM).
Thank you for your ongoing support, kind words, occasional home cooked meals & (most importantly) your love & prayers. From the depths of our hearts, Thank you
PLEASE SHARE!
Imogen Rea’s birth was celebrated by her parents Christie and Brad Rea and their four older daughters in December 2019. Within days of arriving home from hospital and having some beautiful newborn and family photos taken, Imogen became dangerously ill. She was rushed by ambulance to the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle Australia in a critical condition. Within 36 hours she had to undergo life saving emergency brain surgery. She spent some weeks in Neonatal Intensive Care and Paediatric Intensive Care while she was stabilised before and after surgery.
The medical staff across many departments at the John Hunter Hospital have done an incredible job saving Imogen and stabilising and diagnosing her illness.
Imogen’s test results came back at Christmas time. She has been diagnosed with an extremely rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. As a result, the medical staff quickly began urgently needed treatment. The family are seeking prayers for her full recovery.
Imogen has undergone her first round of chemotherapy treatment in an Oncology isolation ward at the John Hunter Children’s Hospital. Her progress will be monitored, however she will require ongoing treatment for some time.
Christie has been living in the hospital wards and is the primary care giver for Imogen while she is in isolation and undergoing chemotherapy. This has been very disruptive to the whole family.
With medical and personal costs mounting and an unknown road ahead, we would like to support the family with their ongoing financial burdens. We can do this by collectively providing for some of their household costs & other potential financial needs that may arise. This will help the family get back to some form of routine and take some unnecessary stress off their mind for the journey ahead.
Thank you for your support, thoughts and prayers. Any small or large financial contribution you are able to make would be greatly appreciated.
(Andrew & Mark Robinson are Christie Rea’s brothers)
~ Feb 15th, 2024 ~
It’s been a long 4 years. To those who have been following this story throughout, thank you for your care & support.
Practical ways you can support the Rea family at the moment include the following:
1. Signing up to provide the family with a meal
https://mealtrain.com/wd6w3e
2. Continuing to pray & send messages of support
3. Continuing to donate to this GoFundMe
While this campaign has been active for the duration of Immy’s battle with Glioblastoma, the financial pressures are ongoing. Christie, Brad & the girls have all made significant sacrifices in their valiant efforts to provide Immy with the best possible life. At this point, you have contributed nearly $155,000 to help their family stay afloat - this has been a pivotal factor in their existence over these 4 years. At a glance, this seems like a lot of money, however it pales in comparison with the substantial costs of keeping their family safe on one income.
A few considerations:
1. Christie has been unable to work, which has forced them live on a single income.
2. Brad has needed to take significant time off work to care for the girls during lockdowns in 2020 & 2021. Along with this, he has done lengthy stays in hospital to support Immy when Christie needed a reprieve - particularly over the last few months of Immy’s battle:
3. Christie has given up Doctoral Studies at Newcastle University, which would have advanced her career trajectory.
4. Medicare & Private Health Insurance haven’t covered the costs of specific medications & home medical equipment that worked best for Immy. These costs were significant. Your donations made these essential treatments possible - THANK YOU!!!
5. A simple meal or drink in a hospital kiosk or food court is expensive. Multiply these costs over 4 years & the expense is mind-boggling
6. One of the more difficult aspects of the past few years are the complexities they faced when dealing with Centrelink. This is a topic I’ll leave to Brad & Christie to comment further on. However, it’s such a shame that Cancer Families are left to fend for themselves by our social support services here in Australia.
When you think of how far $155,000 goes when you line it up next this small (and incomplete) list of challenges faced by Brad & Christie, it’s incredible they were able to make these generous donations stretch out so long.
Your ongoing support to help Christie & Brad to recover emotionally, mentally, spiritually & financially is greatly valued.
Update - June 2020
Over the last week, Imogen has undergone a series of tests to determine the success of chemotherapy treatments during the last few months.
After the MRI, Christie & Brad received the news that the original tumour hasn’t shrunk as the doctors had hoped, and that there was a secondary brain tumour growing nearby. This heartbreaking news has hit the family hard, and they are requesting prayers of support & are praying for a miracle of full & complete healing.
The family has requested that we share the name of this specific type of cancer so friends & family can be aware of the magnitude of the illness. If you’re wanting more information, please take the time to read up on Congenital Glioblastoma Multiforme Grade 4 (abbreviation: cGBM).
Thank you for your ongoing support, kind words, occasional home cooked meals & (most importantly) your love & prayers. From the depths of our hearts, Thank you
PLEASE SHARE!
Imogen Rea’s birth was celebrated by her parents Christie and Brad Rea and their four older daughters in December 2019. Within days of arriving home from hospital and having some beautiful newborn and family photos taken, Imogen became dangerously ill. She was rushed by ambulance to the John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle Australia in a critical condition. Within 36 hours she had to undergo life saving emergency brain surgery. She spent some weeks in Neonatal Intensive Care and Paediatric Intensive Care while she was stabilised before and after surgery.
The medical staff across many departments at the John Hunter Hospital have done an incredible job saving Imogen and stabilising and diagnosing her illness.
Imogen’s test results came back at Christmas time. She has been diagnosed with an extremely rare and aggressive form of brain cancer. As a result, the medical staff quickly began urgently needed treatment. The family are seeking prayers for her full recovery.
Imogen has undergone her first round of chemotherapy treatment in an Oncology isolation ward at the John Hunter Children’s Hospital. Her progress will be monitored, however she will require ongoing treatment for some time.
Christie has been living in the hospital wards and is the primary care giver for Imogen while she is in isolation and undergoing chemotherapy. This has been very disruptive to the whole family.
With medical and personal costs mounting and an unknown road ahead, we would like to support the family with their ongoing financial burdens. We can do this by collectively providing for some of their household costs & other potential financial needs that may arise. This will help the family get back to some form of routine and take some unnecessary stress off their mind for the journey ahead.
Thank you for your support, thoughts and prayers. Any small or large financial contribution you are able to make would be greatly appreciated.
(Andrew & Mark Robinson are Christie Rea’s brothers)
Fundraising team: Fundraiser Team (2)
Mark Robinson
Organizer
Christie Rea
Beneficiary
Andrew Robinson
Team member
