Help Hamza after his brain tumour and vision loss

We are raising funds to support my eight year old nephew, Hamza, as he recovers from surgery to remove a brain tumour and adjusts to life with permanent vision loss.

On the 27th of August 2023 Hamza experienced unexplained loss of his eyesight, headaches and was unable to walk in a straight line. After his vision quickly deteriorated the next day, he was taken to the emergency department at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital where he was diagnosed with a pilocytic astrocytoma brain tumour.

Due to significant swelling on his brain, he underwent urgent surgery to remove the tumour. Thankfully the tumour was benign, but a week later he had another surgery to place a permanent shunt in his brain, as it was not draining cerebral fluid on its own, causing further vision loss and extreme pain.

After consultation with a number of specialists, we have been advised this week that his total vision loss is permanent and he will not recover his eyesight. As a result, he requires full time care, and daily assistance with simple tasks such as showering, dressing, walking, eating, and even playing with his little sisters. Sadly, he can no longer enjoy the activities that brought him so much joy before the diagnosis, like reading his favourite Harry Potter books, watching movies, going to school and playing basketball with his friends.

His mum Jessica, a single mother, is now supporting Hamza to attend therapy and medical appointments at the hospital, with appointments nearly every day of the week, between 2-6 hours per day. She manages this while caring for her other six children, including a four year old and an 18 month old. She has had to stop part time work, which has put the family under further financial hardship, and delay her plans to return to her university studies as she takes on full time care of Hamza. Jessica has limited family support, and Hamza’s father lives overseas and is unable to help out during this difficult time.

Jessica is an incredibly selfless and caring mother, and has advocated fiercely for Hamza during his hospital stay to give him the best chance of success and hope for a normal life. She is committed to doing whatever it takes to help him to heal and recover, mentally as well as physically. She has also stepped up for other family members in the past, caring for our mother many years ago as she battled terminal cancer, and has also cared for our sister's son. She never asks for help and just gets on with the job. I have been asked by people who care ‘how can we help?’ - well, this is how.

We are raising funds to help Jessica to purchase a more reliable vehicle to support her with taking Hamza to his hospital appointments and rehabilitation support. Her current vehicle is old and constantly breaks down, costing a lot of money to repair and creating uncertainty with hospital appointments. With seven children, she needs to upgrade her car to a 7 seater. This will also mean there is enough space if Hamza is eligible for a guide dog and other accessibility supports, to help him navigate the world. Hamza will also be saying goodbye to his classmates and friends, as he has been told he needs to attend the South Australian School for the Vision Impaired once he has fully recovered. This school is located on the other side of the city and will add an additional 2 hours of travel time each day. A new car would be a massive help for Hamza and the family. Any additional funds can be used to help make adjustments in the hope, to make it more accessible for Hamza.

Thank you for taking time to read Hamza’s story. If you cannot donate, it would be such a help if you could consider sharing this story far and wide, to give it the best chance of success in supporting Hamza’s recovery and transition.

Hamza is a bright and vibrant little boy, who has been incredibly brave and calm despite everything happening to him at the moment. It’s going to be a difficult journey ahead as he adjusts to his new normal, and anything we can do to make life easier for Hamza and Jessica would be such a relief from their difficult circumstances.