Help support Piper and her family

Hi all,

My name is Rachael, I am Piper’s godmother. Many of us are feeling pretty helpless at this point and would love to do our bit to help Piper and her family. If people would like to contribute small donation this will go a long way to helping Piper and her family with the long journey to recovery they have ahead of them. This will take the pressure off them having to worry about the huge costs involved and they can focus on Piper’s recovery.

On Monday the 18th of December, Piper was getting ready for a swim in the pool with her grandparents when she collapsed.

Piper could not be woken up, and she was immediately rushed to Albury Hospital. Here, Piper had a CT, and it was discovered that she has suffered a stroke, which caused a bleed in her brain.

She was put on life support, and transferred to Monash Paediatric ICU in Melbourne. That night, she had emergency surgery to insert a drain in to her brain.

On Wednesday December 20th, Piper was able to begin breathing on her own. Piper went from not being expected to make it through the night, to being in a relatively stable condition.

This was the best news that her parents and grandparents could ever hope to hear. It was also the beginning of what will be an extremely long journey.

Due to the brain damage caused by the stroke, Piper currently does not have the ability to speak, walk, or use most of the right side of her body. Piper’s family have been prepared for the fact that there is a long road ahead, with the potential of months in hospital, followed by years - if not a lifetime - of rehabilitation. Piper will also need continued specialist care, as the cause of the stroke is still unknown. She will likely need neurological treatment for the rest of her life.

As can be imagined, this has put a huge financial stress on Piper’s family. While being 3.5 hours away from home, they are unable to work. They are also preparing for the fact that Piper will have ongoing care, and potentially need home modifications to accommodate any permanent deficits from the stroke.

We ask anyone that is able, to please donate. At such a difficult time, every dollar counts. Piper’s family want to set up an account dedicated to her current and future medical needs. Their goal right now is to be there for their little girl, but they know that they need to prepare for the road ahead.