Brave boy: Kyabram’s Mason Cheong was diagnosed with Lowe syndrome through the Royal Children’s Hospital. Mason loves to wave, even to strangers in the supermarket.
Photo by
Anna McGuinness
Goulburn Valley families are gearing up for this year’s Run for the Kids, to return some of the support they’ve received from the Royal Children’s Hospital.
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Kyabram 17-month-old Mason Cheong will likely be involved with the hospital for the rest of his life.
TheNews spoke to his parents Tameka and Aden in 2021 — not long after Mason was diagnosed with Lowe syndrome, a rare genetic condition affecting about one in 500,000 people, mostly boys.
Compared to a child his age, Mason’s development is extremely delayed.
Giving back: Tameka and Aden Cheong are “beyond grateful” for the support they’ve received from the community and the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Photo by
Anna McGuinness
While most toddlers would be walking at 18 months, Mason is working on being able to crawl.
Tameka said the past year had been “incredibly challenging”, but thanks to NDIS funding Mason was receiving physio, occupational and speech therapy.
“The assistance we receive from his care team is above and beyond anything we could have ever hoped for Mase,” she said.
The family visits the Royal Children’s Hospital at least once a month for different appointments and meetings with specialists.
This year, Tameka and Aden are bringing a team of 36 family and friends to Run for the Kids to give back to the hospital.
“Without their help we wouldn’t know what’s going on with him — we’d still be wondering,” Tameka said.
She said the care they had witnessed for their family and others was “phenomenal”.
The family has raised more than $10,000 for the hospital and Tameka said words couldn’t express their gratitude to everyone who had supported them and donated.
“We are beyond grateful and overwhelmed with all the support Mason has received and continues to receive from the community,” Tameka said.
Every family’s experience with the Royal Children’s Hospital is different — whether it’s an ongoing journey or a quick stint.
The hospital was where Kialla 15-year-old Mitchell Serra found himself on Christmas Day after a freak water-skiing accident.
A jaunt on the Waranga Basin on Christmas Eve 2021 quickly turned to a nightmare for Mitchell and his family when he came off the skis and was whacked in the back of the head, fracturing his skull.
“Very lucky”: Kialla’s Mitchell Serra, 15, has made a full recovery after fracturing his skull on Christmas Eve 2021. He’s pictured here with Teddy and his mum, Jenny.
Photo by
Anna McGuinness
“I don’t really remember much,” Mitchell said.
“They got me into the boat and rang the ambulance.”
He was initially taken to Bendigo hospital where his worried parents, Jenny and John, caught up with him.
Seeing the blood on the side of his head, they thought it might be a ruptured ear drum and didn’t expect to hear he would be rushed to the Royal Children’s Hospital for emergency surgery.
Man’s best friend: Mitchell and Teddy.
Photo by
Anna McGuinness
Four hours, a few plates and screws later, three days in hospital and some generously donated presents on Christmas morning, Mitchell was home making a full recovery.
As a way of saying thanks to the “amazing” team at RCH, Mitchell’s parents, his sister Ellie and uncles Glenn and Shane Purss are lacing up for Run for the Kids in Melbourne later this month.
“He was very lucky,” Jenny said.
“The hospital is amazing so this is one little thing we can do to give back.”
In typical teenage boy form, Mitchell’s straight back into footy — after his mum had reassurance from doctors — and says he’s keen to get back out on the water.
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