Lachie Love needs your help!
Lachie has an extremely rare and aggressive brain tumour. Help us to do everything we can for him in the precious time that we have left.
Auckland
Lachie is 8. He has a sparkle in his eyes & an overflowing personality. He is “big” in every sense of the word – full of energy, love & life.
On December 29, Lachie was diagnosed with a brain tumour that was later confirmed as DIPG. This is about the worst news any parent could hear: DIPG is an extremely rare, aggressive & lethal tumour, with an average life expectancy of less than a year.
https://dipg.org/dipg-facts/what-is-dipg/
Lachie is the son of Liesje & Andy Love & Harry’s big brother. He is a grandson to Emma & Bruce Donkin, grandson to Carole & Michael Love, nephew to Nikki Donkin, James & Erin Donkin, Grant & Philippa Love & John & Josie Love, a cousin, great grandson & friend to many. It is incomprehensible to think of our world without his big smile & big hugs.
The immediate future will be grueling. The financial toll will be huge, as Liesje & Andy are self-employed & can't rely on sick leave or employer support. We hope that this page will mitigate some of the financial stress & allow Lachie to explore all available treatment options, including any clinical trials. At the very least, we want Lachie to tick off some bucket list items while he still can.
We know that people want to help, but there is very little that can be done in a practical sense. If you do want to contribute via this page, then it would be a little something positive for Lachie & his family in the most horrendous of circumstances. Your support is hugely appreciated.
Nikki Donkin's involvement (page creator)
Liesje is my sister, Lachie is my nephew
Use of funds
Any donations will be used to alleviate the financial pressure on Liesje and Andy while they care for Lachie, to pursue all available treatment options, and to give Lachie the best experiences possible while he can still enjoy them.
We have another Givealittle page running for Lachie's bucket-list separately here https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/a-marathon-for-lachie-loves-bucket-list
Latest update
Dear Santa.... 11 December 2023
Merry Christmas to all of you who have followed us on this journey and supported our family. It's been a while since an update, so I'll start with some good news. Lachie had an MRI a couple of weeks back which showed the tumour has shrunk a little bit again, so something seems to be working with the supplements he's on! He's working hard at private physio and making progress with being able to take a few steps again, which is amazing to see. Unfortunately he's also having some big emotions and behaviours (who can blame him, he just wants to be a normal kid!), which has resulted in another smashed TV (TV number 3?).
Lachie turns 9 on Sunday, a milestone we weren't sure he'd hit, so we'll be celebrating with all his friends and family in some way that Lachie can participate in, which I'm sure will involve Nerf Guns!
We're coming up on 12 months since this nightmare began, and we're extremely grateful for all the time we get with him, considering that the average life expectancy is 9 months. 12 months off work for Andy to take care of Lachie full time would certainly have taken a higher toll financially if it weren't for all your generous donations, so once again thank you so much for your support!
I hope everyone has a happy holiday period, enjoy time with your loved ones!
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