Bring Vance home

The Bycroft family were just your regular, outdoor loving, young family enjoying life together until a tragic backyard accident changed their lives forever.

On Feb 19, 2023, a freak accident whilst playing at a friend's house has left the Bycroft's 4-year-old son Vance with suspected spinal cord injuries. After being admitted to Busselton Hospital Vance was airlifted to Perth Children's Hospital (PCH), that's when things took an unexpected turn for the worst.

Following his admission to PCH, Vance’s condition rapidly deteriorated and he was placed on life support, where he remained for two excruciating long weeks. When he was finally taken off life support, the reprieve only lasted two days, he was placed back on life support for an additional week. An incredibly stressful eight weeks in the intensive care unit at Perth Children’s Hospital saw his parents holding their breath and hoping he would recover.

Vance was lucky to survive the accident however he did sustain significant injuries including a collapsed lung, broken collarbone, whiplash, fractured neck including tearing both lateral ligaments from his neck and swelling on his spine. Vance was placed on a ventilator to help him breathe and eventually the difficult decision was made for him to undergo a tracheostomy to help with his respiratory needs and also to clear his lungs of fluid.

Trapped in a living nightmare, Matt and Holly have endured a gruelling 15 weeks travelling between Perth Children’s Hospital to be with Vance and Busselton to try and maintain some semblance of normality for their eldest daughter, Quinn. Neither Holly nor Matt have been able to work for more than three months since the accident.

Their worst fears were realised following an updated MRI scan and specialists advised that whilst there is always hope, they need to be prepared for the possibility that Vance may never walk again; a crushing blow for any parent, but especially for the Bycrofts who are at their best when they’re outside in nature and well known for their active outdoor family adventures.

We are reaching out to the community on their behalf to ask for help to prepare them for Vance’s homecoming to make the transition as smooth as possible for him and his family. Beyond that, we’d like to provide funds to the family to get back to their happy place outdoors; to enable Vance and his family to try and resume an active, outdoorsy lifestyle as much as possible.

Their home in Busselton will need to be modified to make it wheelchair friendly. This includes installing ramps at the front and back doors, widening doorways and modifying bathrooms.

Vance loves nothing more than being outside and prior to the accident spent a lot of time playing in the backyard. This space will also need to be modified to create a wheelchair friendly play space, to ensure he can continue to enjoy time playing outside – such an important part of being a 4-year-old boy.

They will need to reconsider their transport, either modifying their family four-wheel drive or purchasing a new wheelchair friendly vehicle.

Currently Vance has a tracheostomy tube in his windpipe which assists his breathing and helps to clear his lungs of fluid. It takes specialised, 24/7 nursing care to maintain the tubing which is difficult to come by in a regional town.

He will need regular physical therapy to strengthen his body and Matt and Holly are keen to have him attend school to maintain some of the essential socialisation that is so important for young children.

Matt and Holly know how incredibly lucky Vance was to survive the accident. But watching their once super active, bubbly little boy struggle to understand what is happening with his body and why he can’t move is beyond heartbreaking. They’ve worked incredibly hard each day to bring the light back into his eyes and put a smile upon his face while struggling to keep their own emotions at bay.

While the Bycrofts come to terms with their new reality, we ask that you open your hearts and give them your support. Together as a community we hope to bring some smiles back to their faces and ease this difficult transition for them. In time, they hope to get back outdoors and enjoy some new, slightly modified, family camping adventures together.

You can contribute financially through this go fund me page. If you have skills to offer in kind support that is also welcomed. The family would be very grateful for any and all support.