Community of Donald mourns beloved Archie Michael after he loses battle with epilepsy

A small Victorian town is coming to grips with the loss of a popular six-year-old who died just weeks after being diagnosed with epilepsy.

Archie Michael passed away just weeks after being diagnosed with epilepsy

Just weeks after being diagnosed with epilepsy, a popular six-year-old boy from a small town in the state’s northwest has tragically died.

Archie Michael, the youngest of seven siblings, was well-known throughout Donald.

“You would walk down the street with him and everyone knew who he was. He’d just be high fiving everybody,” his sister Sarah Kate Maddumage said.

Little Archie’s doctors were only in the early stages of working out how best to treat his epilepsy before he tragically passed away.

“Bendigo Health were doing all sorts of tests like MRI’s and sleep studies,” Archie’s sister told the Herald Sun.

Archie Michael’s doctors were still figuring out the best way to treat his epilepsy

Realising the financial strain was a burden Archie’s parents, Amanda and Alistair, could do without at a time like this, a close family friend started a GoFundMe campaign to help ease any financial stress.

“One of Mum’s best friends called me and asked if I thought Mum would be okay with it, and I said she would because it would be such a big help,” Ms Maddumage said.

Remarkably the campaign has raised nearly $20,000 in just three days, a testament to just how well-loved Archie was in the small town he and his family call home.

“Everyone loved him, everyone knew who he was – he definitely made his presence known,” Ms Maddumage told the Herald Sun.

In a gesture of incredible generosity, Archie’s family is donating his organs to aid research and children in need.