14/04/2016
When I was twelve I started to lose my hearing, doctors could find no explanation and sent me for a CAT scan to see if I had bone growing over my eardrum. Mum and I were on our way home from West Perth when we got a call saying to come back to PMH. The doctors had found a tumour in my brain the size of a family chocolate bar.
Before I could be operated on I needed to put on weight as I had lost a lot of weight due to the side effects of my tumour. This took several weeks, I was eventually operated on 2nd May 2003.
Whilst the doctors were operating they touched a nerve, resulting in me waking up paralysed down my left side. 5 months later I began a long, arduous journey towards learning how to walk and use my left arm again. After learning how to use my left arm again, the muscles for my fingers were still very tight so we had Botox injected to try to relax the muscles. The Botox did not work, we had to operate to cut the tendons in my left hand now my fingers are open and relaxed. I also underwent a years’ worth of radiation therapy in 2009 after which my tumour shrank after the radiation and continues to be stable 7 years in a row now. I now want to do something for Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in return for the help, support and kindness they gave me and my family by helping other children and their families who are suffering from the same terrible disease
I recently started a small, not for profit craft business called HAP Crafts in order to fundraise money to create a project I call Kid Kits 4 Kids in 3B (cancer ward). These kits aim to provide sick children with items that will help with pain and comfort relief and activities to do while in hospital undergoing treatments.
I am hoping to gain donations to assist me in filling these kits. Some of the items that would be greatly appreciated are listed below:
Items that help with side effects
Sanitiser
Hand cream (unscented)
Kids sized water bottles
Gum
Comfort Items
Teddy bears
Heat packs
Soft blankets
Soft socks, beanies, blankets
Activity Items
Colouring in books
Pens, pencils, textas, crayons
Books
Games
toys
Any donations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for considering to support me in this venture towards helping sick kids. anyone wishing to donate items can PM me to organise dropoffs