Christmas is a special time for most of us, but for families who have children with cancer, it can be a daunting holiday both financially and emotionally.
Please join us in supporting families this Christmas through the Childhood Cancer Support Christmas Appeal.
In October 2016, Gold Coast parents of four, Nick and Maralyn Kaluzyn, faced the toughest challenge their family has been through.
Their 12 year old daughter Brooke was diagnosed with Medullablastoma (brain cancer).
There’s so many things that go through your head when you’re given this kind of news. Here are some of the questions that Brooke’s mother Maralyn had racing through her mind.
What is Medullablastoma?
What will this mean for our family?
How will our life look while Brooke is receiving her treatment?
Where will we stay while Brooke is getting her treatment in Brisbane?
Treatments required daily trips to Brisbane’s Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital. Like any mum, Maralyn wanted to drop everything for Brooke, but keeping her family together and making life as normal as possible for her other 3 children was going to be difficult to juggle.
“After Brooke had undergone four surgeries, the treatments to follow would be radiation and chemotherapy. The radiation treatment plan was 6 weeks of radiation on the brain and spine. It was during these daily trips from the Gold Coast to Brisbane that was not only difficult, painful and exhausting for Brooke, it was becoming emotionally draining and manic for the whole family as we have four children,” Maralyn explained.
This is where Childhood Cancer Support provides the practical grass-roots support at no cost to the families.
“We will always be grateful to the Childhood Cancer Support team for the support that you have all provided to our family.”
“Trying to visualise what that period of our life would have been like without Childhood Cancer Support’s accommodation and transport services is unimaginable. Childhood Cancer Support continues to support our family with accommodation at their short-term facilities in Woolloongabba when Brooke returns for her 3 monthly check-ups at the hospital. The medical check-ups let us know how she is going and thankfully all her results have remained clear of cancer. Brooke will be in remission 5 years post start of treatment.”
Maralyn Kaluzyn
Mother of Brooke (Medullablastoma)
(07) 3844 5000
info@ccs.org.au
