Money for Sunny - Get Sunshine a Mobility Scooter

Hi, Maryke here just doing a quick update now we have almost reached the target set. Sunny, Bill and family are blown away by the responses from her family, friends and communities far and wide. The love and generosity shown has been overwhelming and will get her a mobility scooter, rain hood, light weight walker, attachment for the walker and fingers crossed enable their carport to get an electric roller door to facilitate ease of use.

Sunny worked full-time before her 'injury' resulted in a life altering disability curtailing her earning potential for the foreseeable future. However knowing our tenacious friend this won't be forever!

I am going to leave this gofundme open for another 2 weeks as we reached our target super fast.

If in conversation with family and friends you talk about Sunny and her situation and they express a wish to donate it will be appreciated as disability costs even with the help of the NDIS.

On a personal note I want to thank Ali for writing the story below and Naomi for putting it all together and I want to thank all of you for being an amazing group of people!

Hello there fellow humans, our names are Ali and Maryke and we are reaching out to our community on behalf of our beautiful friend Sunshine Stewart (Sunny).

Those of you who know Sunny would know her as a vibrant, warm, passionate member of our community. She has been an amazing communicator, organiser and educator over many years through massage, yoga classes, kids sport, and her family day care business.

She is a mother of 4 sons (and their lovely partners), a wife to Bill and an Oma to Charlotte and Aubrey. She is also an amazing compassionate and thoughtful friend to many.

Sunny has been a loyal and supportive friend to us, and that is why now in her time of need we want to give back by organising this gift of a mobility scooter for her, which will make a huge difference to her independence and well being into the future.

What happened to Sunny is a long story that we’ll try to keep short.

Late last year, while working (with children) her legs gave way from underneath her and she fell, unable to get up. Initially it was thought she had lower spinal disc bulges and she attended ED several times as the symptoms and pain did not improve and at times got worse.

From there she was referred to a specialist Neurosurgeon with approximately a 6 month waiting list. Sunny and Bill decided this was too long to wait to get answers and with that kind of wait things may deteriorate further or cause more permanent damage. So, they paid to see a private Neuro for more comprehensive scans immediately.

From this it was discovered that the issue seemed to be coming from a bulged disc further up in the top of her spine, and it was recommended that she go in for emergency surgery to have the disc removed and vertabrae fused, in order to avoid what could have been possible permanent paralysis if the cord were damaged further.

After this surgery she was supposed to be feeling ‘normal again’. Unfortunately that was not the case, and this led doctors to investigate further.

They decided that an angiogram to scan her brain was needed. This scan found a fistula, and she was then taken in for emergency brain surgery.

Sunny then spent the next 3 months in hospital recovery and rehab.. She has been left with all sorts of issues, some of which include, inability to drive, she can not walk without her walker, she uses a wheelchair for any extended outings and is unable to go anywhere independently. Her long term prognosis is uncertain.

Sunny has lost her income, and most of Bill and Sunny's savings have been spent on supporting her and adapting their home and lifestyle around to this new way of being for them all. Despite getting some NDIS funding for support workers and rehab services, there is not the funds for mobility and independence.

So we are aiming to raise $10,000 to buy a motorised mobility scooter, and a light framed walker, so that Sunny can get out and about in the community. For her to go shopping, go look at the ocean, visit friends who are nearby, and possibly get out and do some volunteering and other activities in time.

This has been a huge, shocking change for Sunny, her family and friends. Sunny has remained so positive and grateful throughout it all. She really is an inspiration to us all who are lucky enough to have crossed her path.

Any small amount donated will be so gratefully received. And we completely understand that some of you are unable to donate at this time and that's ok..

We just ask that you consider sharing this out to your community so that others who may want to help can be reached.

Go well fellow travellers, take care of yourself and each other.. With much love xxx