Wheels For Tom
Donation protected
https://m.facebook.com/wheelsfortom/
Why have I set up this page and asking for your help?My son Tom has many challenges in life, his world is often a stressful, frustrating obstacle course he has to navigate. The last few years have been particularly hard for him and has seemed like a constant cycle of negative experiences. I as his mum, do my best on a daily basis to make the world a positive place for him, but I want to do more. I would like to make some good things happen for him. Things that are beyond my capability by myself to make happen. Tom was born with a condition called Septo-Optic Dysplasia that affects his sight so he is registered blind. It also affects his pituitary gland and hypothalamus which results in him needing daily replacement medication to mimic what his endocrine system does not produce. This leaves him vulnerable to a life threatening degree if he gets ill or experiences trauma. One of the effects of his hypothalamus dysfunction is obesity, despite diet & exercise being carefully managed. Tom also has hyper mobile joints, so it makes exercising more challenging for him. Tom also has Asperger's. Getting Tom to embrace a healthy active lifestyle is a challenge and I want to make it as enjoyable as possible for him, because if I can't make his lifestyle more active he is at serious risk of becoming diabetic as well. Ok, so that is why. But I'm not expecting you to just donate just to support him, although you can. I am going to undertake some personal challenges to encourage your support, they will start small and hopefully get bigger. The reason for that is that my life is pretty challenging too (although I am not complaining! I'm very blessed and love my life), but, my health is far from stable. 21 years ago I was successfully treated for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The chemotherapy and radiation that saved my life when I was 21 has also has left a legacy of long term and late onset effects. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and multiple food intolerances which impacts my daily life and also the high risk status for further cancers. I have recently had half of my thyroid removed due to a suspicious growth, but that thankfully that turned out to be benign. I continue to be closely monitored and screened for the cancers I'm at risk for. Exercise and healthy living improve my life quality significantly, but it's often far from easy! I do not have a day without pain and as many chronic health condition sufferers know, if I overdo it one day, I will pay for it the next! But I am determined to be as healthy as possible as down the line many people who have experienced the lifesaving treatment I have had, suffer from heart problems due to radiation fibrosis and require heart valve replacement and other surgeries. So the fitter I can stay, the healthier my heart will stay! Fingers crossed! I'm hoping that this page not only helps me put a smile on Tom's face and improve his chances for a happy healthy life, but raises awareness of other kids like Tom and their families and cancer survivors and their ongoing challenges to stay healthy. This page will be linked to a FaceBook page which I will keep updated with my challenges and progress. I would like to raise enough money to get Tom a recumbent tandem like the one pictured. So we can go out together and he can enjoy cycling again, something he dearly misses. The sum I'm aiming for is for a standard custom made tandem, but we will be investigating options & trialling bikes to see what will be the best solution for him. If by any chance we raise more than is needed we will donate any extra funds to charity.
Why have I set up this page and asking for your help?My son Tom has many challenges in life, his world is often a stressful, frustrating obstacle course he has to navigate. The last few years have been particularly hard for him and has seemed like a constant cycle of negative experiences. I as his mum, do my best on a daily basis to make the world a positive place for him, but I want to do more. I would like to make some good things happen for him. Things that are beyond my capability by myself to make happen. Tom was born with a condition called Septo-Optic Dysplasia that affects his sight so he is registered blind. It also affects his pituitary gland and hypothalamus which results in him needing daily replacement medication to mimic what his endocrine system does not produce. This leaves him vulnerable to a life threatening degree if he gets ill or experiences trauma. One of the effects of his hypothalamus dysfunction is obesity, despite diet & exercise being carefully managed. Tom also has hyper mobile joints, so it makes exercising more challenging for him. Tom also has Asperger's. Getting Tom to embrace a healthy active lifestyle is a challenge and I want to make it as enjoyable as possible for him, because if I can't make his lifestyle more active he is at serious risk of becoming diabetic as well. Ok, so that is why. But I'm not expecting you to just donate just to support him, although you can. I am going to undertake some personal challenges to encourage your support, they will start small and hopefully get bigger. The reason for that is that my life is pretty challenging too (although I am not complaining! I'm very blessed and love my life), but, my health is far from stable. 21 years ago I was successfully treated for Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The chemotherapy and radiation that saved my life when I was 21 has also has left a legacy of long term and late onset effects. I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and multiple food intolerances which impacts my daily life and also the high risk status for further cancers. I have recently had half of my thyroid removed due to a suspicious growth, but that thankfully that turned out to be benign. I continue to be closely monitored and screened for the cancers I'm at risk for. Exercise and healthy living improve my life quality significantly, but it's often far from easy! I do not have a day without pain and as many chronic health condition sufferers know, if I overdo it one day, I will pay for it the next! But I am determined to be as healthy as possible as down the line many people who have experienced the lifesaving treatment I have had, suffer from heart problems due to radiation fibrosis and require heart valve replacement and other surgeries. So the fitter I can stay, the healthier my heart will stay! Fingers crossed! I'm hoping that this page not only helps me put a smile on Tom's face and improve his chances for a happy healthy life, but raises awareness of other kids like Tom and their families and cancer survivors and their ongoing challenges to stay healthy. This page will be linked to a FaceBook page which I will keep updated with my challenges and progress. I would like to raise enough money to get Tom a recumbent tandem like the one pictured. So we can go out together and he can enjoy cycling again, something he dearly misses. The sum I'm aiming for is for a standard custom made tandem, but we will be investigating options & trialling bikes to see what will be the best solution for him. If by any chance we raise more than is needed we will donate any extra funds to charity.
Organizer
Fiona Angus
Organizer