Ella

My Story ❤️

This walk is personal. This is my reason why.

In 2009, my daughter was born, and within a very short time, our lives were turned upside down.

Instead of bringing our newborn daughter home and beginning our life together as a family, she was immediately transferred to the Mater Mothers’ Hospital at South Brisbane.

She was diagnosed with Hirschsprung disease, a congenital condition where nerve cells are missing from part of the large intestine. Because her bowel could not function properly, she developed a serious blockage.

As a father, there are moments in life that you never forget.

For us, one of those moments was waiting day after day for our tiny newborn daughter to pass her first stool.

It took approximately 15–18 days.

Eventually, doctors discovered that part of her bowel had become severely damaged and had effectively died. She needed approximately 20cm of her bowel removed.

I remember the fear.
I remember the uncertainty.
I remember wondering what the future would hold for my little girl.

No parent should ever have to watch their newborn child go through something like that.

But during those incredibly difficult weeks, we had people around us who gave us hope.

The incredible doctors, nurses and medical staff at Mater Mothers’ Hospital and Queensland Children’s Hospital cared for my daughter and helped give her the treatment she desperately needed.

And Ronald McDonald House gave our family somewhere to stay and support us during a time when our lives revolved around hospitals, doctors and our daughter’s recovery.

Those organisations became part of our family’s story.

Thankfully, my daughter fought through it.

She was given the opportunity to grow up, to experience life and to become the amazing person she is today.

I will never forget the people who helped make that possible.

That is why I have decided to take on Walk All Night.

I know that walking through the night will be physically difficult. There will be hours when I am exhausted, my feet hurt and my body tells me to stop.

But whenever that happens, I will think about my daughter.

I will think about those long days and nights in hospital.

I will think about the fear we felt as parents.

And I will remember that there are families going through similar experiences right now.

Parents sitting beside their sick child.

Parents sleeping in hospital rooms.

Parents praying for good news.

Children fighting battles they never asked for.

If my daughter could fight through those first weeks of her life, I can walk through one night for her and for every other sick child.

I am not walking all night simply to complete a challenge.

I am walking with purpose.

I am walking in memory of the fear we once felt.

I am walking with gratitude for the people who helped save my daughter’s life.

I am walking for the children currently fighting their own battles.

And I am walking for the mums, dads and families who desperately need support when their world is turned upside down.

So I am asking you to please support me.

Every donation, no matter how big or small, will help.

Your support will help give sick children and their families the care, support and hope they need during some of the hardest moments of their lives.

If you can donate, thank you.

If you can share my fundraising page, thank you.

And if you simply take a moment to read my story, thank you.

From one dad who knows what it is like to sit beside a hospital bed with his newborn daughter…

Thank you for helping me walk all night. ❤️

For my daughter.

For every sick child.

For every family who is waiting and hoping.

One night. One walk. One very personal reason.

Please help me make every step count. ❤️