In Loving Memory of Lucas Faram
Donation protected
On Sunday 17 January 2021, beautiful little Lucas Faram tragically lost his life at 3.5 years old, taken far too soon due to a undetected medical problem at one of Queensland’s emergency departments.
I am a neighbour of the Faram family and I am writing this for Lucas’s Mum, Gelria Faram, based on the details that she has shared with me in the days since Lucas’s death.
Lucas meant everything to his Mum and Dad, Gelria and Paul Faram, and to his siblings. Lucas was the heart of his family – born prematurely at 24 weeks with cerebral palsy and hydrocephaly (fluid on the brain) causing the need for a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt when he was only 7 months of age (to drain fluid from his brain and prevent brain damage and death). These health challenges meant that family life really revolved around Lucas, who was a happy, affectionate, and loving little person with a huge love for his pet dogs, all animals, and cuddles. Lucas’s Mum, Gelria, was his full-time carer and, as a team, she and Lucas had gotten to the point recently that he was starting to walk and really thriving. To keep Lucas as healthy and happy as possible, Gelria home-schooled all their kids to prevent daycare and school illnesses from coming into their house and causing serious health complications for Lucas.
However, in the early hours of Friday 15 January, Lucas started to vomit and was drowsy. These were warning signs that Lucas’s shunt was malfunctioning and were exactly what Lucas’s parents have been trained to keep an eye out for. Lucas’s parents took him to their GP early in the morning, who urged them to take him straight to Townsville University Hospital’s Emergency Department with a letter explaining their concerns. Once there, Lucas was taken away for a ‘scan’ and, when the ED doctors returned, they explained his shunt was working so instead it was likely a viral infection causing his symptoms. At about 10 am he was given a sedative to have intravenous fluids started, and tragically he never awoke from this sedative. At some point that day, unbeknownst to the medical team or his parents, Lucas had a stroke and by the evening he had started convulsing. By this stage Lucas had been transferred to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The PICU paediatricians went back to the start of Lucas’s file from that morning and they discovered the ‘scan’ that had been done to check Lucas’s shunt was working was an X-ray, not an MRI, and therefore did not detect that his shunt was blocked. They immediately did an MRI, which showed his shunt was blocked and he was rushed into surgery in the small hours of Saturday morning. The surgery successfully cleared the blocked shunt but it was clear serious brain damage had already occurred. On Sunday 17 January 2021, Lucas was declared brain dead.
Lucas’s death is now under review as it may have been preventable had it been procedure to receive an MRI on presentation to the ED with symptoms consistent with a shunt blockage. Lucas’s devastated Mum, Gelria, is only managing to put one foot in front of the other through her determination that this will never happen to another child. Gelria is campaigning for Lucas’s Law, which aims to introduce a policy where all children with ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts who present to emergency departments are immediately given an MRI scan. The petition to Queensland Parliament is here (can be signed by Qld residents) https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/petition-details?id=3459 and the Change.org petition is here (can be signed by anyone) https://www.change.org/p/greg-hunt-lucas-s-law.
Lucas’s death has also put the Faram family — who were already struggling to make ends meet supporting a young family, including Lucas’ significant health issues — into deep financial strife. Lucas’s Dad, Paul, is the sole income earner, especially now that Gelria’s carer’s allowance from Centrelink was stopped upon the death of Lucas. Paul and Gelria have decided for Gelria to continue home-schooling their children so that they do not have to experience the grief of losing their precious brother while also starting at a new school. The breakdown of their family car in the week after Lucas’s death, in addition to Lucas’ memorial expenses, have pushed the Faram family to the point where they do not know how to pay for their next bill.
Please donate to relieve Lucas's family of financial hardship at a time when they are broken and grieving. Donations of any amount will be gratefully appreciated. Your generosity in this time of need will enable the Faram family to pay for Lucas’s final farewell, and support them as they grieve the loss of their precious son and brother.
Lucas's parents Gelria and Paul Faram will receive all donations directly.
I am a neighbour of the Faram family and I am writing this for Lucas’s Mum, Gelria Faram, based on the details that she has shared with me in the days since Lucas’s death.
Lucas meant everything to his Mum and Dad, Gelria and Paul Faram, and to his siblings. Lucas was the heart of his family – born prematurely at 24 weeks with cerebral palsy and hydrocephaly (fluid on the brain) causing the need for a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt when he was only 7 months of age (to drain fluid from his brain and prevent brain damage and death). These health challenges meant that family life really revolved around Lucas, who was a happy, affectionate, and loving little person with a huge love for his pet dogs, all animals, and cuddles. Lucas’s Mum, Gelria, was his full-time carer and, as a team, she and Lucas had gotten to the point recently that he was starting to walk and really thriving. To keep Lucas as healthy and happy as possible, Gelria home-schooled all their kids to prevent daycare and school illnesses from coming into their house and causing serious health complications for Lucas.
However, in the early hours of Friday 15 January, Lucas started to vomit and was drowsy. These were warning signs that Lucas’s shunt was malfunctioning and were exactly what Lucas’s parents have been trained to keep an eye out for. Lucas’s parents took him to their GP early in the morning, who urged them to take him straight to Townsville University Hospital’s Emergency Department with a letter explaining their concerns. Once there, Lucas was taken away for a ‘scan’ and, when the ED doctors returned, they explained his shunt was working so instead it was likely a viral infection causing his symptoms. At about 10 am he was given a sedative to have intravenous fluids started, and tragically he never awoke from this sedative. At some point that day, unbeknownst to the medical team or his parents, Lucas had a stroke and by the evening he had started convulsing. By this stage Lucas had been transferred to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The PICU paediatricians went back to the start of Lucas’s file from that morning and they discovered the ‘scan’ that had been done to check Lucas’s shunt was working was an X-ray, not an MRI, and therefore did not detect that his shunt was blocked. They immediately did an MRI, which showed his shunt was blocked and he was rushed into surgery in the small hours of Saturday morning. The surgery successfully cleared the blocked shunt but it was clear serious brain damage had already occurred. On Sunday 17 January 2021, Lucas was declared brain dead.
Lucas’s death is now under review as it may have been preventable had it been procedure to receive an MRI on presentation to the ED with symptoms consistent with a shunt blockage. Lucas’s devastated Mum, Gelria, is only managing to put one foot in front of the other through her determination that this will never happen to another child. Gelria is campaigning for Lucas’s Law, which aims to introduce a policy where all children with ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunts who present to emergency departments are immediately given an MRI scan. The petition to Queensland Parliament is here (can be signed by Qld residents) https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/petition-details?id=3459 and the Change.org petition is here (can be signed by anyone) https://www.change.org/p/greg-hunt-lucas-s-law.
Lucas’s death has also put the Faram family — who were already struggling to make ends meet supporting a young family, including Lucas’ significant health issues — into deep financial strife. Lucas’s Dad, Paul, is the sole income earner, especially now that Gelria’s carer’s allowance from Centrelink was stopped upon the death of Lucas. Paul and Gelria have decided for Gelria to continue home-schooling their children so that they do not have to experience the grief of losing their precious brother while also starting at a new school. The breakdown of their family car in the week after Lucas’s death, in addition to Lucas’ memorial expenses, have pushed the Faram family to the point where they do not know how to pay for their next bill.
Please donate to relieve Lucas's family of financial hardship at a time when they are broken and grieving. Donations of any amount will be gratefully appreciated. Your generosity in this time of need will enable the Faram family to pay for Lucas’s final farewell, and support them as they grieve the loss of their precious son and brother.
Lucas's parents Gelria and Paul Faram will receive all donations directly.
Organizer and beneficiary
Megan Higgie
Organizer
Pallarenda, QLD
Gelria Faram
Beneficiary