Thankyous and acknowlegdements

Id like to Acknowledge the following people before I even start writing. A huge Thankyou to Captain Starlight, Professor Terry Bolin and the Sydney Childrens Hospital, for never giving up on me. Thankyou also to Dr Donovan and Dr Mcgrory for your continouing ongoing medical help, but even moreso for being a listening ear I can trust and being there for emotioanl support as well.

Thankyou also to my best Friend Emma for just being the amazing person you are,

I would also like to acknowledge the people I have met on Bigo live, Especially everyone from The Aussie Wolves, the Trapped empire agency, And The Digital Community who cares. @trapped.chat

Lastly, thankyou to my grandparents, Especially my Grandmother Penny (may she RIP) who showed strength and bravery and taught me how to fight through being sick. I have also decided to follow in her footsteps (everyone will tell you im her clone anyway) as she has also written a memoir of her very own.

Where it all started....

I was born on the 9th Feburary 1990, to my two parents, my Autralian born father, and my New Caledonian Mother. I was born a tiny 1.5 kilos but only 2 weeks early. Unlike my mother, I was born with fair skin and blue eyes. One of the first things my mother said when i was born was "Oh My God i've given birth to my mother in law".

I was a very sick, tiny baby at 1.5kilos born full term, i spent 3 months in the incubator in the NICU (Neo-natal intencive care unit). I was labeled as a "failure to thrive" and suffered severe projectile vomiting & dirrhoea and my original prognosis, for quite a while was not great at all.

My origianl diagnosis was "the muscles in my stomach are spasmotic" doctors and specialists had told my parents, I wouldn't make it past the age of 7 and never be able to eat or drink, i am now 36 with a child of my own. but theres way more stories to tell before we get to that point :)

I had a squeezy bottle of my mothers breast milk in my early days. I also had a nasal gastric tube (and 5 central lines between 0-8) until the age of at least 6 or 7, as I remember starting School with it.

My mother and father struggled to conceive me, so 16 monthls later, my younger brother came along. See our first Christmas photo together. He was 6 months old, i was around 22 months old (2 in Feb), as you can see, we definatly looked alike and were often mistaken for twins

In 1998 I contracted the stomach bug cryptospiridium and spent 6 weeks in hospital (it was only meant to be a 24 hour bug) with my 5th central line, and was admitted the day before my 8th birthday.

Being A Starlight Kid

In my early years of life i spent more time in hopsital than i did in school but i met some amaing people, including Olivia Newton-John, Humpry bear, a few famous sports players, The Corrs & the Oriiginal wiggles. The starlight foundation and the variety club also had some pretty epic christmas parties for us sick children & our siblings.

One of these parties every year, santa came on a boat, and the sick children and their siblings got to drive the big fishing boats, I remember my dad, being a salor getting upset that my brother and I got to drive the boat, but they wouldnt let my father who's been a sailor my entire life.

There is now a starlight room and a school within the Sydney Childrens Hospital, I have attached some pictures of what I could find.

Lookout for part two coming soon.... early out of hospital memories, these will come with laughs and more photos, dont miss the possum & double pram troubles stories.