Sickness steals so much from children like Ali – instead of getting started with gymnastics lessons, she spent her birthday and Christmas in ICU.
One morning in December last year, Ali complained of stomach pains, and within hours, she went from being a bubbly little girl playing with her three big sisters, to fighting for her life in intensive care.
Over the next few hours, Ali’s condition worsened and Bianca soon noticed light purple blotches on her daughter’s stomach. Bianca rushed Ali straight to their local hospital.
Ali was showing signs of meningococcal sepsis – a disease where the meningococcal bacteria enter the bloodstream and multiply.
Shortly after presenting to her local hospital, Ali was transported to Queensland Children’s Hospital in an ambulance with her dad. By the time Bianca arrived that evening, Ali was in a coma.
“She didn’t look like my baby. She was covered in purply, reddy blotches all over her body and arms and legs. Her eyes were all swollen. Seeing her like that absolutely broke me.”
– Bianca, Ali’s Mum
The incredible doctors and nurses at Queensland Children’s Hospital did everything they could to keep Ali comfortable and prevent further damage to her growing brain and body.
But sadly, her arms and legs couldn’t be saved. Bianca had the heart-wrenching job of telling her active six-year-old that she was going to lose her arms and legs.
With your generous support this Christmas, we can continue to make a difference in the fight against childhood injury and illness and support sick kids like Ali.
We can help bring sick kids and their families the comfort and distraction of toys, books and games through some of their most challenging times.
We can help buy the equipment that doctors and nurses need to provide the best possible care, both now and into the future.
We can help fund research into new and improved treatments, so sick and injured kids everywhere get better.
For Ali, the ongoing rehabilitation as a quad-amputee is demanding, but she continues to amaze her parents by taking everything in her stride and facing every challenge head-on. Ali remains determined to conquer every day with a fierce and resilient attitude. She loves painting and is determined to become a paralympic swimmer when she grows up.
Head here to find out how you give back to kids like Ali this Christmas.
The difference that shapes their world
Through supporting the Children’s Hospital Foundation, you can improve childhoods and ensure all children and young people have access to treatment - sooner.
