💙 This is my nephew Levi - our family’s superhero. 💙
I’ve never shared Levi’s story, as our family tends to keep our battle close to our hearts. So there is only a tiny handful of you that know about his journey and his fighting spirit that keeps him going. However things are critical, and we need to set our pride aside, be brave and ASK FOR YOUR HELP!
Levi is (as we speak) in the midst of his 96th surgery.
This is more than anyone should endure, let alone a 9 year old.
We are on borrowed time, but we’ve been lucky enough to able to celebrate 4 1/2 years longer with Levi, than specialists speculated we would have with him. However there is no cure and no end in sight.....
Levi was born a micro premie twin. Suffering from two seperate conditions:
- Necrotizing Enterocolitis, a condition where his bowel is dying. He has had more than 3/4 of his small bowel and his entire large bowel removed to keep him alive. And a colostomy bag since he was 10days old.
- Tetrology of the Fallot, which is a condition that affects his heart.
His twin brother Konrad is a healthy 9 year old able to somewhat live a normal 9 year olds life discounting, having to miss school (with travel to Chch) the constant hospital visits, watching his twin go through 96 surgeries and persistant pain, causing emotional trauma.
Levi’s 3 year old sister Aria has not known a life without hospitals and her older Brother and Mother having to be away from her for long periods of time (months on end) due to surgeries being performed in Christchurch hospital and our family living in Dunedin.
My sister Nicole is the strongest, bravest person I know. She has devoted her life to her 3 kids as single mother, particularly to Levi and his wellbeing.
And carries not only the emotional and physical trauma of Levis, but also Konrads, Arias and her own. Which is taking it’s toll, emotionally, physically and financially.
In October last year, Nicole started her first fulltime job in the 9 years of the twins life, as Levis health look promising enough for her to do so after his last lot of surgeries in May last year.
However, Levi’s health went downhill again a couple of days before Christmas, resulting in an emergency helicopter flight to Christchurch where they had to sustain him prior to surgery, as he weighed less than his 3 year old sister and would not have made it through his much needed emergency surgery.
Levi has had 3 surgeries in the last 4 weeks, with each surgery he goes under a greater and greater risk of losing him. Along with his brilliant surgeon who is more and more nervous of the outcome every time he goes under, we as a family are always positive and hopeful of a successful outcome.
But the financial stress and toll that this puts my sister under is overwhelming at best.
Unable to attend her job in Dunedin to ensure she is in Christchurch supporting Levi. Means NO income. Not able to receive sick leave or annual leave having recently started her job.
Nicole’s work has supported her best they can, and the resources/help offered by the government have now been exhausted with nowhere to turn. That is where we ASK FOR YOUR HELP!
If you could see into your heart to givealittle to Levi’s page this will go a long way. To ensure a brave little boy doesn’t have to be separated from his brother and sister (and then their Mother), so they can afford to travel to see Levi.
Help ease the burden of an emotionally and financially stressed mother trying to make the best of the borrowed days she has with her son and his siblings.
Every little bit helps. And we thank you from the bottom of your heart for your generosity.
Peace, Love and positivity to all. 🤗
