'My son has cancer, and we wouldn't cope without the support of a special foundation'
“There are now some little associations where Ash thinks ‘I can get some cool stuff here’, and it’s not always just trauma, there are little moments of happiness in between.”
Family Life
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Little Ash Saunders had been sick for a couple of weeks with a viral infection when he woke up one morning screaming and crying.
His mum Nataasha Timmerman told her partner she was taking him to the Queensland Children’s Hospital after already having had multiple trips to both GPs and emergency departments.
“I broke down crying once I got to reception, he was so sick and wasn’t getting any better, and I was so stressed and didn’t know what was going on,” the mum-of-two told Kidspot.
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Unfortunately, blood tests revealed news no parents wanted to hear: Little Ash had leukaemia.
He almost immediately began chemotherapy and regular surgeries, and his condition meant Nataasha’s world was flipped upside down.
“There was a stage where he couldn’t walk at all, so we had to move out of our double-storey house because he couldn’t handle the stairs,” she said.
“Last year was really intensive treatment, he’s had blood and platelet transfusions, several surgeries, and chemo straight into his spine.
“It’s all been a blur and very traumatic for us.”
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"He'd cry every time we went to hospital"
Ash’s frequent visits to hospital for treatment wore on the now four-year-old, who would have visceral reactions every time the family drove into the carpark.
“It got to the stage where every time we went to hospital, Ash would start screaming and crying - it was traumatic for him before he started anything,” Nataasha said.
However, the work of the Children’s Hospital Foundation began to give Nataasha and her family a silver lining every time Ash needed treatment.
“Ash loves Nintendo, so I used to go down to the Kid’s Zone and hire one for him,” she said.
“They’ll do up a pack with some Lego, Play-doh and the Switch, and Ash loves music, so they’ve organised musical therapy for him.
“There are now some little associations where Ash thinks ‘I can get some cool stuff here’, and it’s not always just trauma, there are little moments of happiness in between.”
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"The foundation has helped bring us happiness"
The foundation also helps patients with activities outside the hospital. Nataasha said they helped her family with a day-trip to Australia Zoo where they kept Ash as safe as possible.
“We were able to go because it was a safe environment, medical staff were on board, and there were a lot of precautions taken to keep him as safe as possible,” she said.
“That was one of our highlights from last year, Ash loved it, and it’s one of the things along the way where the foundation has helped bring us happiness.”
Ash is still undergoing active treatment, including a chemotherapy program that doesn’t end until next April, but he’s starting to return to some of the activities a ‘normal’ kid would do.
“He’s started back at kindy, and they’ve been amazingly supportive of him,” Nataasha said.
“They’ve told the other parents not to send their kids if they are sick, and he’s enjoying it.”
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"It's the small moment of kindness that helps them get through"
The Children’s Hospital Foundation’s CEO Lyndsey Rice told Kidspot the foundation donated millions of dollars to childhood medical research, but said it was sometimes the little things that had the biggest impacts on families.
“We’ve given $9m to research, but you’d be surprised how many stories are like Nataasha’s,” she said.
“We have a dedicated patient and family support service at the hospital with staff and volunteers, and often it’s the cup of coffee someone brought to a parent, or the cuddle carers who will cuddle a sick baby to give the parents a break, that helps get them through.
“Some people think it’s just entertainment for the kids, and we do that through our Kid Zone, but we also provide emergency clothing, concessions for parking, or home-cooked meals.
“Oftentimes for the parents and carers it’s the small moment of kindness that helps them get through a difficult period of their lives.”
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"We make sure their sickness doesn't define them"
The foundation helps with a lot of research into childhood diseases, including setting up the Ian Frazer Centre for childhood Immunotherapy research.
“We basically have a lot of research into ways to minimise the effects and impact of chemotherapy and other treatments on kids,” Ms Rice said.
“A huge percent goes into childhood cancer research, but we also research rare diseases, juvenile diabetes, research across the health landscape.
“We try to do everything to allow these kids to be kids, and make sure their sickness doesn’t define them.”
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"You've always got someone supportive in the background"
Nataasha said her family was grateful for the support from the Children’s Hospital Foundation.
“I get messages from them asking how Ash is going and asking if there’s anything they can do,” she said.
“They’re an amazing team, and you’ve always got someone supportive in the background.”
The Queensland government will match every donation made to the Children’s Hospital Foundation until June 30 as part of the Sick Kids Giving Day Appeal.
To donate, visit https://childrens.org.au/appeal/ash/ or https://childrens.org.au/appeal/sick-kids-giving-day/.
“Every donation between now and June 30 is going to have double the impact for kids doing it tough,” Ms Rice said.
“Every single donation will make a difference, and we couldn’t do what we do without the support of the community.”
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