Kimberley Williams is fundraising for 8 charities in a mammoth campaign to support the organisations who helped her family during the first year of her son Rio’s life. Rio had a number of complications after he was born which meant he was in and out of hospital.

“Rio’s had 2 major surgeries,  spent 45 nights in 4 different hospitals. Hes been under general anaesthetic 3 times, He’s been resuscitated once, He’s had his bowel perforate & his windpipe crushed.  He’s had 5 ambulance rides & so many hospital visits, we once had 6 appointments in 1 week and saw 3 hospitals in 1 day!

“He has been fed by a tube for 8 months, about 30 X-rays, 1 CT scan, 1 sleep study, 10 vaccinations & more blood tests that I can count. All of that with 1 congenital heart anomaly & the addition of 1 very important extra chromosome, 21,” Kimberley said.

Kimberley was referred to the Carers’ Centre by a friend after Rio was born and the complications began.

“It was all a bit of a shock and very difficult as we had no indications anything was wrong while I was pregnant. I had some counselling with the Centre in the first instance, which was very helpful.”

Thanks to the Centre the family were able to go on activities as a family.

“Normal things kind of go out the window so we probably wouldn’t have been able to go on trips or anything if it hadn’t all been organised by the Centre. It enabled us to have a few hours as a family together doing something nice. My other son, Felix, (3) really benefited from this time together to get out and do things.” Continue reading Support Kimberley and Rio in their mega fundraiser! →