Toowoomba mum Toni Mitchell to celebrate 10 years of Joshy’s Jumble fundraiser to support son with disabilities

Joshy Mitchell has defied the odds his entire life, and it’s been partly thanks to a fundraiser that hits a special milestone this weekend. Here’s how you can help out:

Toni Mitchell has been fighting for more than 20 years to give her son Joshy the best life possible, despite his numerous medical conditions.

“When I was pregnant, they said he wouldn’t survive to be born,” she said, talking about a man now in his early 20s.

“So he’s constantly breaking all these rules, doing his own thing, teaching people as he does his own thing and also defying all the rules.”

Ms Mitchell attributed part of being able to defy the odds to the success of Joshy’s Jumble, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this weekend.

The mother of all garage sales, which this includes 1000 items covering clothes, toys, linen and electrical goods donated by the community, has allowed the Toowoomba mum to generate extra money to cover the litany of expenses and costs to meet Joshy’s needs not covered by the National Disability Insurance Scheme and its predecessors.

Toni Mitchell and her son Josh Mitchell in 2022. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Joshy has Down syndrome along with a host of other disabilities and conditions, and is currently dealing with two failing organs.

“Because this is the 10th anniversary, we’re getting everything out of the shed, setting it all up on the driveway, hoping people will come and have a good look and find some bargains and stock up on their winter woollies and summer swimmers and everything,” Ms Mitchell said.

“He has so many medical conditions with all their individual costs and ongoing and this helps us to cover those.

“We have to get everything delivered, so it helps me cover the cost of deliveries plus he has a lot of medicines that he has to take so it helps me to cover the cost to them – some of which aren’t covered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

“It has helped me cover some of the ongoing costs for equipment that he’s needed and also as his health has deteriorated and I’ve had to do changes to the house, like we had to put in a lift to help him get upstairs and downstairs, it will contribute to costs (like) that.”

Josh and Toni Mitchell with Bella the Beagle in 2011. Photo Dave Noonan / The Chronicle

Ms Mitchell, who is Joshy’s primary carer and therefore unable to work, said the jumble was not just a way for them to generate funds without asking for it.

“It’s also a way of us to raise money with a bit of dignity — we’re not asking for a handout, we’re working to earn this money,” she said.

“We totally appreciate the generosity of everybody in helping us with this jumble and for coming to buy things and also those who have donated things over the years.

“We don’t need any more donations at the moment, we just need to really sell.”

Among the items for sale will be plants Joshy has grown, which is now one of the main ways he interacts with the jumble due to his declining condition.

“He’s a beautiful man and he’s got such a wonderful heart and he has really enjoyed the jumble over the years,” Ms Mitchell said.

“He loved to meet people and show them around and help them pick things out and he really enjoys doing the plants, but he’s just not up to any of that anymore.”

Joshy’s Jumble will open at the Mitchells’ house on 15 Mott Crescent in Rockville from Friday to Sunday from 9am to 3pm each day.

You can check out some of the items by heading to the public Facebook group.