Support for DJ

This is our brave little man DJ. DJ is an energetic, happy boy who has an inquisitive mind and loves to know how things work. He loves school, his family and friends. He loves fishing and Lego.

On the 28 October 2016, DJ was unwell with fevers and his mum, Megan, took him to the doctor. Later that night, she got a call to say he was to be taken immediately to Starship Hospital. DJ was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (ALL) High Risk and treatment was started immediately. A parent’s worst nightmare.

During the treatment he was moved up into the Very High-Risk category. His life consisted of chemotherapy, blood and platelet transfusions, bone marrow biopsy and numerous other procedures. DJ had complications with lung infections and huge weight loss. Through all of this he was a fighter and his inquisitive mind helped him cope with the reality of his condition.

He got through the worst of it and was on maintenance chemo with one and a half years to go. On 23 July 2018, the family received the devastating news that DJ had relapsed and the cancer had come back. Because of the relapse, DJ has had to start his cancer treatment over with more intense chemotherapy and radiation will follow that. He is in for a very tough ride and has also recently been diagnosed with bronchiectasis which is a condition of the lung due to scarring when he got an infection during the first initial treatment.

DJ’s plan of care at the moment is day by day but the intended length of treatment, without any other complications, will hopefully finish towards the end of 2020, so they have a long road ahead of them.

DJ's mother Megan is nothing short of incredible. She has raised her 10 children to be kind, caring and respectful. Megan is always putting others first, volunteering herself for different things in the community and never asks for anything in return. She currently has her 5 youngest children at home while she is with DJ in hospital. The older children help the younger ones. Two of DJ's siblings have Type 1 Diabetes which means they need to be injected with insulin every time they eat. It is far from easy. She has a hard road ahead trying to care for DJ and making sure her other children are taken care of, especially her children with Type 1 Diabetes. At times the older boys take over a shift at the hospital, so their mum can come home and spend time with the other children.

On top of the heart wrenching stress of having a sick child, there is now financial stress added to that. It's enough to make the strongest of people start to crack around the edges. I have set a fundraising goal of $72,800. The reason I chose this number is because it will cover groceries and petrol for two years for DJ and his family and help with repairs to their car or to purchase a more reliable vehicle. Two years is roughly the amount of time DJ will spend in hospital undergoing treatment.

This is a difficult journey no child or their family should have to go through. Any support you can give this amazing family to help relieve some stress during this trying time will be greatly appreciated.