| Summary: | Jess and Wayne's fifth child Daniel has a rare disease titled Angelman Syndrome. He couldn't roll, sit or crawl by six months. Also, his condition means that he cannot speak and has profound mental and physical disabilities and seizures. Because of the difficulty that parents Jess and Wayne have in lifting and maneuvering Daniel into their car they have already suffered injuries. Daniel at 5 years of age is a dead weight of about 40 kgs and is over 4ft tall(about 1.2 metres}. |
| Challenge: | He now has started at a special school. His 4 other brothers and sisters also have a variety of health issues. Their health problems are relatively minor compared to Daniel's dreadful illness. Daniel can never be left alone.
Jess and Wayne have had to let go of their dreams for the future, of owning a home, of travelling, of Daniel growing up, having a family, and living independently.
"We do our best Wayne and me. We make it work the best we can. And we adore him. He is without a doubt. the most challenging and wonderful thing that ever happened to our family. We, including our children, are better humans for having him in our lives", says Jess.
Now that Daniel has started school transporting him in and out of the house and car is unavoidable. |
| Solution: | To improve Daniel's and his family's life, they will need a family sized wheelchair accessible van to allow Daniel to travel to and from school and to be included safely in their day-to-day activities. |
| Sponsored by: | Rotary Club of Monash, District 9815 |