Torquay’s Archie Kwiez is the face of children’s charity Variety Victoria’s Christmas Appeal to help support kids in need.
The 13-year-old was born prematurely at 30 weeks and diagnosed with Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL), a type of brain injury, following a cranial ultrasound.
Mum Natalie Kwiez said doctors found a loss of white matter, which is the brain’s communication network, leading to his PVL diagnosis, which “later comes under the umbrella of cerebral palsy”.
“A lot of kids who have issues with their brain when they’re born are very unsettled as babies, so Archie would cry a lot and struggle with feeding and settling,” she said.
“Archie has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, where his core is weak, but his extremities are very tight, so he’s got the worst situation where he’s tight on the ends, but he doesn’t have any head control.
“Because his legs are so tight, using standard walkers is very difficult for Archie to get good movement, whereas the race runner that Variety Victoria funded…means that he can move with his peers.
“Archie now loves being out and about in the community, being with his friends, going swimming, and being around people who get him and can ask questions that give him the ability to say yes and no.”
Eleven months after Archie was born, Ms Kwiez fell pregnant with her second son, Oscar, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was two.
“The younger years were difficult trying to help Oscar and Archie as they were from two separate worlds,” Ms Kwiez said.
“Now there’s a lot more connection between the boys, and I’m very lucky to have two great boys that are both very cute and really kind.”
Variety Victoria’s Christmas Appeal aims to raise and donate funds to help children who are disadvantaged, sick or living with a disability to receive the support they require to thrive.
Visit fundraise.variety.org.au/event/christmasappeal/home for more information or to donate.
