My Son Christopher who is in ICU on Life Support

This fundraiser is for my son Christopher who is currently in Monash Clayton ICU on life support and fighting for his life.

Christopher is 32 years old, soon to be 33 on the 13th of February. Christopher was fit and healthy until the evening of the 12th of January 2025 when he was at work and began vomiting. Thinking he had gastro or some food poisoning he went home and got into bed hoping that it would pass. Little did he, or the rest of the family know, that by 1pm the next day he would be in ICU on life support.

We know now that Christopher has contracted Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) a very rare condition (1 in 100,000) where the immune system attacks the nerves.

Christopher has been left paralyzed, he cannot breathe on his own, he cannot digest food properly, he cannot open his eyes or see, and he cannot move any of his limbs except for some slight movement in his thumbs and fingers.

However, Christopher is conscious, which means he can hear, understand and think. He is aware of everything that has happened and is happening to him. My heart breaks every minute of every day knowing that my beautiful, talented and inquisitive son is trapped in his own body unable to express himself. His only means of communication is by the slight movement in his thumbs when asked simple Yes and No questions.

I cannot imagine how frustrated he is. Christopher loves to listen to podcasts and watch videos, on History, Politics , Crime , Culture, and all sorts of random things. He has a broad and in-depth wealth of knowledge that he loves to talk about for hours, and now, now he cannot talk at all. He also has a passion for music, plays the drums and was learning guitar and violin. It is a passion he hopes to share with his first child, which is due in August of this year. I pray that Christopher will be awake by then to see this beautiful moment and greet his child.

No one can tell us how long it will take for Christopher to recover. At best he will be in ICU on life support for many, many weeks then facing the prospect of many months of grueling, difficult rehabilitation afterwards. At worst he is facing years of pain and suffering with the possibility of never fully recovering.

Due to these circumstances Christopher is currently facing enormous challenges with his mortgage and other financial responsibilities. As a family we are struggling and will not a be able to financially support Christopher during his long term recovery. We are deeply concerned about how these commitments will be managed during this difficult time. We want Christopher to be able to return to as normal as possible a life upon his recovery.

If you are in a position to offer a donation to support Christopher, my family and I would be profoundly thankful. Your compassion and generosity would mean the world to us, and I sincerely hope that your kindness will be repaid.

If you are unable to financially contribute, please think of my son and send him positive energy to aid him in his recovery. This terrible disease has not only devastated Christopher’s life but his whole family and all those who know Christopher. We all love him and are all trying to come to terms with our new reality. We will support him and be by his bedside every single day holding his hand and encouraging him to not give up and fight, we will be his emotional pillars and give him strength.

Christopher would ring me every day and we would have endless talks about all manner of things, and now I miss him. Christopher not calling me every day has left a large void in my life, and I can’t stop crying.

Please keep my son in your thoughts and pray for his recovery, and may God bless you and your family with good health and well-being.