Tough Tommy Please help us raise money for our great mates Hugh & Grace Funston and their little boys Freddie and Tommy. They’ve been living in the States (where Grace is originally from) for a few years now and welcomed their second son Tommy into the world in April. Tommy has had a tough start to life and hasn’t made it home from hospital yet, 6 months later. He was born with Tracheoesophageal Fistula (TEF) which is an abnormal connection between the esophagus and the trachea (windpipe). Essentially that means he has a gap in his esophagus which means he hasn't been able to drink or eat anything by mouth. The poor little guy has now had 6 surgeries to close the gap with the most recent looking very promising but the journey is not over yet. Tommy has just undergone a major surgery where they used 25% of his colon and used that to close the gap in his esophagus – how amazing is that! Before they get him home though, they have rehab and occupational therapy ahead of them to help Tommy learn some of the skills he has not been able to develop naturally due to the condition, like how to swallow for example. So while the end is now in sight there’s still a lot to get through first. Mum, Dad and older brother Freddie have been making daily trips to the Cincinatti hospital to be with tough little Tommy and be by his beside and cheer him on. As you can imagine the journey has been rough for all of them as they have watched little Tommy through his ups and downs and there have been times when Hugh and Grace have not even been able to hold Tommy due to the number of machines and tubes he’s been connected to. Whilst Hughie and Grace have their sights set on moving home with their two beautiful boys, there is a lot to get organised, pay for and do before they are able to make the leap back to Aus. So much so that Hughie will initially be coming back to Australia without the family to look for a new job, a place for them to live and start setting things up for when Grace will be able to return with the boys when Tommy gets the all clear. We hope by raising funds that it eases the financial burden that these circumstances have had on them and helps ease the pressure a bit… it would also be awesome to think that we could raise money towards them being able to get set back up in Australia or enjoy some special family time together with Gracie’s family before the leave, or even a family holiday for the 4 of them once Tommy is up to it… With Hugh and Grace living in the states it’s been hard for family and friends in Australia to help out, hang out and offer physical support so we’re hoping this may be a way we can assist. Hugh is one of the most loyal guys you’ll ever meet – he’ll do anything for his family and friends, and puts everyone before himself. He’s always been a generous and proud person who’s never asked for help and probably never will, that’s why we’re asking for your help. We all look forward to meeting Tommy very soon.