Help Raise Funds for a Family in Need

Melina Hollway is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Amy Neeson.

Donation protected

Hello friends,

Thank you for taking the time to learn of the Neeson Family's Story. My name is Melina and I am bringing awareness to and raising funds for this little family of 4 that live through multiple daily nightmares. I am asking for your help because as everyone goes about their daily lives, this is what my friends have to quietly endure...

Billy: Billy is 19 and has major intellectual impairment and severe autism. He's non verbal, rarely sleeps, is only partially toilet trained, and has multiple meltdowns daily where he screams constantly, harms himself by hitting, biting, and scratching himself, dropping to his knees or bottom, and causing terrible damage to his body. To watch their son go through this rips their hearts out and they are left in tears agonising for him and left feeling helpless as he is unable to verbalise what he is feeling, bleeding, bruised and distressed.

Tahlia: Billy's younger sister Tahlia is 16 and has recently been diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Failure and Autism. She suffers debilitating ocd & anxiety. Tahlia is at risk of fracture from the lack of oestrogen & is also on hormone replacement therapy as her ovaries have now totally disappeared. She was also born with 4 vsd's (holes in her heart), cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart & high blood pressure. Due to her health problems, Tahlia needs ongoing appts with endocrinologists, gynaecologists, cardiologists & other specialists that are sometimes costly.

Mark: Since Billy was born, Mark has had two open heart surgeries to repair an aortic aneurysm & dissection, and relies on medications to keep him alive. He has a metal heart valve and Dacron tubing to replace parts of his badly damaged aorta. He is lucky to be alive. Mark is Billy's main carer and the payment available to Mark by Centrelink equates to around $1.80 an hour each fortnight.

Amy: Amy also has her own heart complications and mental health issues as she battles to keep working and looking after her family she struggles to keep it together on a daily basis and work part time to provide financially for their family.

As Billy rarely sleeps, Mark takes Billy to an old caravan on his parents property so Amy & Tahlia can get some rest each night. So on top of everything else, they don't even get to stay together as a family at night. Billy prefers the confined space of the caravan & will have a terrible meltdown if he isn't taken there at night, when not with his carer.

Most of the time taking Billy for a drive helps to keep him calm, but this also costs so much in fuel & car expenses. Mark gets minimal sleep most nights then spends a lot of his day driving for hours with Billy. They are all exhausted, mentally, physically & emotionally.

The Issue: Recently the NDIS knocked back Mark and Amy's request for extra funding to care for Billy even after providing documentation and videos of the horrendous things they go through with Billy's disability explaining their need for an increased funding for care for him. Amy is in the process of applying for an NDIS plan for Tahlia but is feeling so overwhelmed by everything and is at her wits end.

Funds Raised: If we can raise money with your generosity for Mark, Amy, Billy and Tahlia this will go towards having carers for longer periods to assist with Billy. Their NDIS funding currently only covers enough for a carer for few hours each day, and one full 24 hour over night carer for Billy each week. Also if we can raise enough funds to go towards a small caravan they can have in their housing commission driveway, they can try to alternate shifts with Billy to be closer to each other. The caravan they are currently using on Marks parents property is so old & rusted that it is unable to be moved at all.

I know not everyone is in a position to donate financially but if you are touched and this reaches your heart by what this family has to go through daily, then PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE share this GoFundMe to build awareness and hopefully the NDIS will take note and allow Mark and Amy to receive the extra funding they need to alleviate some of the pressures most of us can not even begin to imagine of caring for Billy.

On behalf of the Neeson's with their permission being able to bring to light their story I thank you for taking the time to read this and take notice of their trials.

Acts 20:35