Support 8 yr old Ollie's Stroke Recovery

Alicia Parry is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Helen Hawes.

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Firstly, everyone that knows the Hawes family will tell you how beautiful and family orientated they are and how when someone is in need, they are always the first to offer any help.Shannon, Helen and their two boys (Oliver and Alex) are the most down to earth, fun loving, humble people you could meet. So as you can imagine it has been very hard for them to agree to us starting up this go fund me page.

On the 4th April, 2021 (Easter Sunday), their little family's life changed forever as their kind, caring and loving 8 year old Ollie suffered a TIA.
After a mad dash to ED, Ollie’s right side facial droop, speech and weak right arm appeared to be recovering. They were transferred to Westmead children's Hospital.
A CT scan and MRI later diagnosed Ollie with a rare progressive cerebrovascular condition called MOYA MOYA a rare blood vessel (vascular) disorder in which the carotid artery in the skull becomes blocked or narrowed, reducing blood flow to your brain. Tiny blood vessels then open up at the base of the brain in an attempt to supply the brain with blood. The condition may cause a ministroke (transient ischemic attack), stroke or bleeding in the brain. It can also affect how well your brain functions and cause cognitive and developmental delays or disability. Moyamoya is an extremely rare condition. Its incidence in Australia is not truly known, however is somewhere in the vicinity of one case per million population. Moyamoya disease most commonly affects children, but adults may have the condition. It may occur at any age, though symptoms most commonly occur between 5 and 10 years of age in children and between 30 and 50 years of age in adults. The first symptom of moyamoya disease is usually stroke or recurrent transient ischemic attack (TIA), especially in children.

Turns out that Ollie, the little warrior, had been battling this for sometime, with his vessels already compensating for blockages in various arteries elsewhere in his brain. This time it was too much.

Ollie had a significant stroke in the early hours of Monday morning leaving him with right sided hemiparesis and loss of speech except the words, yes and no.
An angiogram followed that day with neurosurgery on Tuesday to bypass the blocked artery in order to profuse the damaged area of brain. Thankfully it was successful but with high risk of another stroke or bleed Helen, Shannon and the rest of the Hawes family, have been riding the ICU rollercoaster to keep him stable ever since.

There are signs of hope for a good recovery each day and thankfully his comprehension is still there as he understands conversation and is still able to have a laugh!
Ollie is a naturally sporty kid who has a love of all things outdoors! Whether it’s tearing around on his motorbike at home with his dad and little brother, catching a fish in one of the many local fishing holes, participating in (and acing!) various school sports and already a promising young football player, playing for his local junior rugby league club, the Bowra Tigers. So as you can imagine, this previously super active, won't sit still for a minute 8year old is getting fed up lying in bed, getting frustrated and very agitated!

With a long journey of rehab and getting an understanding of MOYA MOYA and how to live with it, there's not much we can do except be here, support and encourage this brave boy.We’ve made this page to try to raise as much funds for them to cover their bills and general living expenses etc so they can stay together as a family in Sydney as long as is needed without having to rush home to work.

Helen and Shannon are going to have an enormous amount of medical bills and therapy bills moving forward, as continued care is crucial to Ollie’s recovery. Shannon owns and runs his own electrical business and has also had the worry of this on his mind. We do not want them to have to worry about how these surmounting bills will be paid, on top of their usual bills, and other daily expenses, while caring for their little boy. We don’t know how long this recovery journey may be.

When the worst happens, it’s a comfort to know that our community can come together and be so generous with thoughts, prayers, and any other support they may be able to offer.

Funds raised with this campaign will go toward helping Helen and Shannon breathe a little easier as they continue the process of healing during this difficult time.
The Hawes family need us now more than ever to come together to support them in any way that we can. Please dig deep and donate as much as you can. If you are not able to donate, please share this page with your friends and family.

Ollie is now a MOYA MOYA warrior & survivor