Please Help Mitchell Eat

$50,304 of $50,000 goal
Given by 858 generous donors in around 6 months

Please Help Mitchell Eat

Wellington, Masterton District

Help Us Give Mitchell a Chance at a Happy, Healthy Life!

Our son Mitchell's journey has been filled with unique challenges. As a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, he faces daily obstacles that most of us cannot comprehend. But there's another layer to Mitchell's struggles – he has been diagnosed with an incredibly rare neurological disorder called Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID). This disorder has turned something as basic as eating into a source of tremendous stress and anxiety for him.

At six years old, Mitchell has not consumed solid food or even taken a sip of water. Whether it's chocolate, ice cream, or soft foods, nothing makes its way into his stomach. He relies solely on a milk-based drink, which provides him with all his nutritional needs, including water. However, this fragile situation puts him just one step away from requiring a feeding tube, which raises significant safety concerns given his other sensory processing issues.

We have discovered a world-renowned eating clinic in Graz, Austria, that specialises in treating children with ARFID. The clinic has an exceptional track record of success, giving children like Mitchell a chance at a better life.

Mitchell is also non-verbal and doctors believe that should Mitchell be able to eat, the chewing motion will significantly help his speech and language skills.

Your contribution, no matter the size, will make a tangible difference in Mitchell's life.

Thank you.

Andrew (Danny) Boon's involvement (page creator)

Mitchell is our son.

Use of funds

The funds raised will be used to cover the expenses of sending Mitchell to Graz, Austria, where he can receive specialised treatment at a renowned eating clinic for his ARFID condition.

If we fall considerably short of the target, then we will likely invest in local speech and language lessons for Mitchell as well as any potential eating clinics within either New Zealand or Australia.

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Latest update

UPDATE  30 September 2023

Hi everyone,

We just wanted to express our gratitude to everyone. We have been completely overwhelmed with the response and have been taken aback with everyone's generosity.

We are so thrilled to announce that we are taking Mitchell to Austria next week as a result of the generous donations you all have contributed to.

We will keep updates flowing on the page and once again just wanted to express our sincere thanks to everyone.

Thank you all so much once again, and we look forward to sending some updates on his progress :)

Andrew, Isobel & Mitchell.

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Latest donations

Bridget
Bridget on 15 Oct 2023
All the best for treatment Mitchell, Love Bridget & Paul
$100
Geraldine Sound
Geraldine Sound on 29 Aug 2023
All the best from George, Gerald and the team at at Geraldine Sound.
$200
Guest Donor
Guest Donor on 22 Aug 2023
All the very best Mitchell
Private
Guest Donor
Guest Donor on 20 Aug 2023
$200
Allison
Allison on 18 Aug 2023
Very best wishes for success in Austria
Private

Who's involved?

Andrew (Danny) Boon's avatar
Created by, and paying to a verified bank account of, Andrew (Danny) Boon
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This campaign started on 13 Jun 2023 and ended on 13 Dec 2023.