Lara’s Eileen Booth was never one to ask for help – until son Harry’s life-threatening illness.
The three-year-old struggles with chronic renal failure that is gradually destroying his kidney function.
It makes him nauseous every day, constantly itchy and means he has to be fed through a tube.
Now he’s also on the list for a kidney transplant.
Like any parents of seriously ill children, the pressure piled up on Eileen and husband Trevor.
Then they discovered Very Special Kids.
The charity provided the couple with invaluable emotional support and trained volunteers to help with Harry’s hospital visits, Eileen said.
She’s particularly grateful for the assistance of its local family support practitioner Peggy Noonan.
The Torquay resident’s outreach services include counselling and advocacy along with co-ordination of programs and events for clients to meet other families in similar situations.
Now Eileen’s glad she reached out to Very Special Kids.
“Initially it was really hard for me as I find it hard accepting help,” she said.
“But Peggy helped me break down these barriers and know that it’s OK to ask for support.
“She’s been amazing.”
Eileen also accesses Very Special Kids’ other support services for families of children with life-threatening conditions.
“I attend Very Special Kids coffee mornings with other transplant waitlist mothers. It’s important to debrief with other families in a similar situation,” Eileen said.
“I can’t speak highly enough of this support.”
Very Special Kids supports 82 families in the Barwon region and more than 900 across Victoria. It also provides 24-hour nursing care at Victoria’s only children’s hospice.
The charity relies on community help to continue its services, said chief Michael Wasley.
“Each year it costs over $7 million to operate Very Special Kids. Without donations from our community we would not be able to continue caring for these brave families.”
Very Special Kids has launched its annual Piggy Bank Appeal which will be visiting Geelong and Torquay this weekend.
The appeal sends giant mobile piggy banks around the state to seek $1 million in donations.
The appeal will be at Torquay’s Bunnings store 9am to 4pm on Saturday 10 September and at Corio’s Gateway Hotel from 11.30am to 3pm on Sunday.
The appeal will return to Torquay, in Gilbert Street, from 10am to 2pm on 29 September.
Online donations are accepted at piggybankappeal.org.au.
