Our Beautiful Indigo - Take two

Indigo is an 1 year old bubbly girl.

However, she isn't just an ordinary bubbly girl. She is 1 year old and is the size of a five year old. She weighs a whopping 23kg and wears children's size 6-7 clothing and adults size medium nappies.

She cannot walk, roll, crawl or talk due to her syndrome. She has increased risks of cancers, tumors, diabetes, heart attacks, pneumonia (and sickness in general).

This is the reality of Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome:

Tiffany and Fitzroy (Indigo's parents) have had to continuously buy larger clothes for Indigo due to her condition causing her to gain enormous amounts of weight every week. One week a top will be too large on her - the next it will be too small. Not only this, but Indigo cannot fit normal supermarket nappies due to her size. She has to wear special adult nappies Tiffany buys from Auckland every fortnight for ~$100 each time.

It is easy to understand that even having to fork out $100 a fortnight on NAPPIES is financially straining, but this is not all that Tiffany and Fitzroy are struggling to pay for.

Because of Indigo's condition, Tiffany wasn't able to return to work after maternity leave and is now unemployed. Fitzroy is having to work long, grueling hours to support his family of three plus his fiancee. Not only does this money have to cover accommodation, groceries, school fees, $100 nappies and new clothes for Indigo - it also has to pay for doctors appointments and gas.

Because of Indigo's syndrome and because of her extreme size, she has a lowered immune system (meaning that she gets sick really easily). Indigo is often sick and having to visit the doctors for numerous health issues - ranging from colds to lung issues (she was born with pneumonia as a baby and has had issues ever since). She often ends up at the hospital which is in the next city - a lot of gas for Tiffany and Fitzroy to have to use (or a $90 ambulance bill).

As part of her condition, Indigo is also required to undergo three weekly blood tests and three monthly scans to check for cancers and tumors as she has an increased chance of developing either. This is very draining on fuel as well as their wallet, as these appointments are also often in the next city.

Now it wouldn't seem so much of an issue paying for gas if there weren't many other expenses the young couple have to pay for - clothing, nappies, doctors and other appointments as well as gas are only but a few to name. This would be financially straining on anyone - but it is especially financially draining on Tiffany and Fitzroy who have to support their other two children, Shade (5) and Devon (4) as well as themselves also.

Their young family is struggling week by week to not only provide Indigo but their two sons a quality life and childhood, due to the large financial strain. All they want is to make sure that Indigo lives a comfortable, safe life and that all of their children are safe and happy.

But this has now become even more difficult. Because of Indigo's continuous growth, she has outgrown many car seats and prams. She now has special car seats and prams from the hospital, which take up a lot of room in their tiny family car. Indigo can no longer fit safely in the back seat of their car with her two brothers. This is a huge concern to Tiffany and Fitzroy and to the Nowakowsky family in general. We want to raise enough funds so that Tiffany and Fitzroy are able to buy a "people mover"* large enough so that all three children can fit safely in the back seat and so that they have enough room to take with them all that they need for Indigo and her brothers (Indigo's large pram for example).

This is a desperate plea for funds - the whole Nowakowsky family are fundraising money so that Tiffany. Fitzroy, Shade, Devon and Indigo do not have to go another day without the help they need.

PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!! EVEN $1 HELPS!!

* Any left over funds raised once we have found a suitable "people-mover" will be going towards buying anything else Indigo needs such as nappies and clothes. It will also go into putting Tiffany into chiropractic sessions (due to the weight of Indigo Tiffany has injured her back numerous times and needs to see a chiropractor but cannot afford it due to the financial strain).