Oliver loves his Elmo!

A lovely note sent to us by Oliver’s mum, Renee…

“Oliver has recently been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called Kabuki Syndrome. He has spent a lot of time in and out of the Royal Children’s Hospital and has therapy most days. He has Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy and Speech therapy every week. Oliver works hard in all of his therapy sessions to help him develop and do things that ‘normal’ babies do with ease. TLC for Kids sent Oliver some of his favourite things (books) and a special toy that is easier for him to operate (an Elmo switch toy). The ‘switch’ on this toy is a big button that is easier for Oliver to locate and press which helps him to learn about ‘cause and effect’. His face lit up when he discovered all his new books and he babbles away when Elmo sings to him. He loves trying to sing back. Thank you so much for your gift.” – Renee, May 2013.

You have the power to help kids and bubs just like Oliver. Register for Tracky Dack Day by clicking the banner below, and you’ll be making a real difference to a child doing it tough in hospital.

Small gesture, big impact

2 year old Maximus has a very rare and undiagnosed illness that causes significant weight gain.

As a result, Max no longer fits into children’s nappies, and the only ones he fits into are specialised adult pullups, and the expense amounts to $50 every couple of days! This is a lot for the family to afford on top of his medical expenses.

Max’s nurses called on TLC for kids to provide a stock of the special pull ups to help with the financial pressure. Max’s mum sent us this lovely message:

“Dear Deb and TLC for kids team,

We were so thrilled to receive the nappies and lovely toys which lit up our home with joy and laughter. It’s an ongoing struggle having a sick child in the family, when a knock at the door can give relief and reminds us people do care and do what they can, this means more than words can say. Thank you so, so much.
We’ve attached a pic of Maximus with his brother Jacob.
Warmest wishes,
Yael, Edan, Jacob and Maximus  XO”

 

 

 

 

 

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Bringing Bertie some Calm

At just 4 months old, Albert (or Bertie to his family), should be experiencing life just as other babies do – seeing the world for the first time without any stresses or complications. Beautiful little Bertie unfortunately has to deal with a condition called Cerebral Irritability, making it extremely difficult for him to settle. Mum (Felicity) has been doing such an amazing job, giving Bertie her absolute and undivided attention since day 1 – it’s a full time job. Bertie is only able to settle in her arms. You can only begin to think how emotionally exhausting this would be for Felicity and the family.

Bertie’s medical team contacted TLC for kids to see if we could do anything to help ease the pressure on mum and create more calm for the family. The anguish that can be caused by your newborn child being unable to settle (on top of medical challenges and uncertainties) can just about break you. And all you need is for someone to care enough to reach out and offer a solution.

This is TLC for kids’ specialty – bringing calm to stressful situations. We got straight onto the task of sourcing something that would take over from Felicity’s job of constant rocking of Bertie. We found a purpose-designed baby rocker complete with soothing music to help settle him and keep him occupied. We also included some special toys for Berties big brother, Reuben, who has been Bertie’s best friend and support since he was born. It is so important that siblings feel part of what’s going on, and our role often covers this area.

We were so pleased to hear about the difference this made to the family…

Dear TLC for kids,

Our little Bertie was recently in the Royal Children’s for the 2nd time undergoing further testing for rare neurodegenerative and metabolic disorders. During this time of turmoil and chaos in our lives it was just so overwhelming to receive such generosity and kindness from you. You provided us with a baby swing to help nurse Albert during his unhappy times and a swag of wonderful toys for Reuben our three year old to enjoy.

I can’t tell you how touched were by this gesture and overwhelmed by your kindness. For the first time in months Reuben felt special and learnt to attribute fun to hospital. It has been hard on him too.

We are eternally grateful. Thank you for making us smile :).

Our warmest regards,   Felicity, Richard, Reuben and Albert Wilton

Meet Luke

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Meet Luke, a regular 5 year-old boy who loves lego! He also happens to have an auto-immune condition that results in severe muscle weakness. He was recently very unwell and was in ICU at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, and his state of health meant that although conscious, he was unable to communicate for a period of time. As you can imagine this was very tough for him and for his family.

A letter from Alicia, 7

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When one of the nurses on our referral network called on us to assist a family who was needing some quality time together, we knew we had an important job to do. Families with sick kids often have to turn most of their attention to looking after that child, and sometimes the most important part of ‘being a family’ gets lost along the way, and that is having a laugh and a bit of fun together! We had a great time planning a handful of fun activities for Alicia’s family, and it always gives us the warm & fuzzies when we get a letter not only from mum or dad, but from the ‘TLC kid” as we call them! In this case, Alicia:

“You brought tears to our eyes”

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It’s letters like this that keep us fundraising and working hard! Thank you for your kind words Naomi…

Dear Deb & TLC for kids,

Luke & I can’t thank you enough for your kind generosity in the gifts you have given Harvey at this hard time.

Sometimes it’s the practical help that’s needed

Now Logan’s medication can be stored safely in their new fridge

Recently, TLC for kids was called upon by nursing staff at a major children’s hospital, to assist a wonderful family dealing with the logistics of their daughter’s new diagnosis. We got this lovely thank you note from mum:

The TLC Smart Car donated by Smith’s Trucks

Passionate TLC supporters, Robert & Vikki Smith from Smiths Trucks, have always looked for meaningful ways to contribute to our cause, and this one blew us away!

Making Vanessa smile

On July 1^st, 2011, David Seymour on behalf of Freemasons Victoria donated $15,000 to Australian children’s charity, TLC for kids. TLC is one of the most active children’s charities in the country, supporting over half a million kids each year in hospitals. Tim Conolan, CEO and Founder of TLC for kids, says the donation will have an immediate benefit for many sick kids, “Every day we have new requests come in from hospital staff across the country, referring children they feel need support of either an emotional or practical nature. Our job is to respond very quickly, within 48 hours, and neutralise the stress being experienced by the child and family in that situation, whatever it may be. This donation will allow us to reach up to 50 families with either a special experience or gift to help take their mind off things, or practical assistance to help take some of the stress away from them.”

Vanessa is just one of the many children TLC has helped as a result of the Freemasons donation. Vanessa has Dravet’s Syndrome, a condition causing her to have seizures almost every day.  She has difficulty concentrating and just copes with getting through a day at school. She is very unsteady on her feet and gets tired easily.

More than anything in the world, Vanessa enjoys going to concerts, theatre, listening to music and watching people dance.  She told her mum that she would love to go to the Cuban ‘Ballet Revolucion’ which was performing at the Victorian Arts Centre.  The tickets were expensive and Mum spoke to her health care worker hoping to find a way to make this happen.

TLC for kids was happy to provide tickets for the family to see this wonderful performance and this very special girl was over the moon!

We received this special thanks from Mum:  “Just want to thank TLC so very much for getting us tickets to see ‘Ballet Revolucion’. It was a wonderful afternoon. Our daughter really enjoyed watching the dancers, she just loves musicals, dancing and music. She had the biggest smile on her face.  Thank you very much.”

TLC for kids wishes to formally thank Freemasons Victoria for recognising the importance of our work in hospitals. You’ve made a difference to Vanessa, her family, and to the many kids and families we will help as a direct result of your funds. Thank you Freemasons!