Taking Andre home and laying him to rest...

Hello, my name is Shaneen and I am raising funds on behalf of my sister Lana and brother-in-law Larson who tragically lost their 5-year-old son/step-son, Andre, on Sunday 5 February 2023 due to severe meningitis encephalitis.

On the night of Wednesday 1 February 2023, Andre presented with flu-like symptoms however the following day, on his car journey to Townsville with his mum, he suffered a seizure. Queensland Ambulance Service transported Andre to Gladstone Hospital and he was placed in an induced coma due to multiple seizures and to ensure no further damage was done to his brain.

On Thursday evening, Andre was on life support and flown to Queensland Childrens Hospital where the family were initially told that he would live and make a recovery after results of a promising MRI. However, hours later, new scans revealed the pressure on Andre’s brain had reached a fatal level and by Friday Andre was determined to have limited brain activity. Andre did not respond to medical interventions which included an operation on the brain in an attempt to reduce swelling and pressure. On Saturday, it was confirmed that Andre had no blood flowing to his brain anymore. Andre was surrounded by so many of his family in hospital, many of whom travelled to be by his side. He was bathed, dressed, held, talked to, had his hair done, sung to, was given toys and treats while we all prayed for a miracle.

Devastatingly, Andre took his final breath at approximately 5.45am on Sunday 5 February. Andre passed away peacefully, still connected to life support, taking any decisions out of his families’ hands. He got to see a new day dawn and was watching the sunrise while being held by both sets of his parents and other family. With their hands on his chest, they felt Andre’s last heartbeats and spent their final day cuddling him.

Andre like many other kids joked around with funny sayings and phrases. Just over two weeks ago, Andre jovially said to his Mum, “When God comes knocking, you better let him in”. This phrase has brought so much comfort to the family; knowing that God must have come knocking ready to take this little Angel home to heaven.

The outpouring of support from our loved ones has been truly humbling. I am hoping to ease the burden for Lana and Larson and their family in every way possible through seeking donations, big or small from the community. Lana and Larson have three young children, Opal (6 months), Majella (2) and Huey (4) and are currently on one wage with a mortgage to pay.

It is estimated that transporting Andre’s body from Brisbane to Townsville will cost $11,000 alone.

All funds raised will go directly to Lana and Larson to assist them in funding their half of this flight and funeral expenses, as well as assisting them with their own travel costs, supporting other family members to attend the funeral, loss of income during sorry business, and general expenses including their mortgage as they grieve their significant loss.

Andre will be remembered as a fun-loving son who was supposed to turn 6 this year. He will be incredibly missed by both sets of parents, both sets of siblings, and every heart he touched. May he rest in eternal peace.