Pride of Australia: Digging deep to save other mums from heartache

BREE dug deep to help other families struggling, after her son Lucas bravely battled a deadly illness. She’s now been nominated for the Pride of Australia’s Courage medal.

Lucas Whitelegg, spent 241 days paralysed by a rare and potentially fatal illness. He has finally started crawling. His mother Bree has been nominated for a Pride of Australia Courage medal, for launching the Lucas Foundation to help support other families in a similar position. Picture: Mark Stewart

SIMPLY breaking into a smile was once impossible for Lucas Whitelegg — now he can’t seem to stop.

The brave battler was struck by a potentially deadly illness at just nine weeks old, rendering him paralysed for 241 days by a Botox-like poison.

But he’s now home, happy, and has even started crawling, a milestone parents Bree and Andrew never dared dream would happen.

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The Mildura youngster spent 10 months in intensive care at Monash Children’s Hospital after ingesting spores of clostridium botulinum bacterium, found in dust and honey.

Ms Bailey was based in ­Melbourne alone and did not leave Lucas’s side, spending most of the year away from her support network and husband who could not afford to give up his job in Mildura.

During this time Andrew travelled 30,000km, commuting between Mildura and ­Melbourne. Eventually Lucas’s movement returned, and for the first time last month, at 17 months old, he began to crawl.

“We waited so long for these milestones so when you finally see them, they blow you away with excitement and happiness,’’ his mother Bree Bailey said. “To know what he’s come from to where he is now is incredible.’’

When the illness first struck, Lucas stopped breathing and was put on a ventilator.

It took weeks for him to open his eyes, and three months before he smiled when his mum sang a special song.

It was eight months before he was able to breathe on his own, and, in January, he let out his first giggle.

Lucas still has internal problems and is fed through a tube, but his parents are hopeful he will recover fully in time.

Lucas is one of only a handful of Victorian botulism cases in the last five years, with doctors turning to the US for a $100,000 antitoxin.

Bree and Andrew want to help other families who go through similar challenges in the Sunraysia area and last month launched the Lucas Foundation. It aims to give ­assistance of up to $10,000 to help with costs like accommodation and travel.

Bree has been nominated for the Pride of Australia’s Courage medal.

Do you know a local legend? Join us in recognising someone extraordinary in your community.

Nominate them online or in the paper, and share their story on Twitter and Facebook.

Medals will be awarded in ten categories including Courage, Heroism, Outstanding Bravery and Environment.

Nominations close on Tuesday, July 29 and state finalists will be announced in the Sunday Herald Sun on September 28.

Category winners for each state will be honoured in a state medal ceremony on October 5, and will be eligible to take home the national award in their category at a ceremony in Sydney later in the year.

For full details and to nominate, go to www.heraldsun.com.au/prideofaustralia.

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