The Norman Family's Story

Two year old Elsie had been pale, feverish and generally unwell for weeks befor Mum and Dad, Max and Charlotte, were given the terrible news every parent dreads: Elsie had Leukaemia. Long periods of hospitalisation and a journey with a very uncertain outcome were to follow.

AcuteMyeloid Leukaemia, comparatively rare in children, meant that Elsie would be an inpatient in medical isolation for at least 6 months. She did not respond to the initial treatment and chemotherapy, blood transfusions, bone marrow transplants and a host of other unpleasent medical procedures followed.

The family had to relocate to the other end of the country for specialist treatment in the only unit of its kind and the ABS was able to provide practical support in the form of money for temporary accommodation. Charlotte was pregnant and a second child was born soon after Elsie's diagnosis. All this while the couple were trying to build their landscape architecture business.

The family are back home now, Elise can start getting reaquainted with the world after living in isolation for so long and hopefully she can soon start going to pre-school. Mum and Dad's landscape architecture practice has survived and is growing in spite of the tough economic times which have seen a marked increase in the number of people seeking help from the ABS.

To view more stories from our DVD, 'With your help...', please click here.