Reach for the Stars

Hannes and Hayden have teamed up, in team ‘Reach for the Stars’, in honour of their beautiful daughters Nora and Eva who were both diagnosed with Cancer in 2016. Eva and Nora share a magical bond which started on the Oncology ward at Princess Margaret Children’s Hospital. You can see in our team photo the girls are taking on life together and ‘reaching for the stars’. This moment was captured on a family camping trip when the girls were both two years in remission and is a perfect snapshot of the support and friendship they share.

NORA
On February 2 in 2016 at just 8 months old, Hannes’ daughter Nora was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma with a fist sized tumour in her chest and spine. The tumour was crushing Nora’s spinal cord at the time of diagnosis, causing paralysis. Luckily her tumour was found before the cancer had spread which meant she was stage 3 and intermediate risk, increasing her chances of survival. Over 8 months Nora received high dose chemotherapy and surgery to remove as much of the tumour as they could. Slowly Nora’s movement returned, and she is now a full of life a walking and dancing vibrant 5 year old. Nora continues regular check-ups to make sure the cancer has not returned and for side effects of the chemotherapy treatment, which will continue for many years.

EVA
On April 16 in 2016, Hayden’s daughter Eva was just 2½ years old when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour in her cerebellum, specifically a posterior fossa grade 2 Ependymoma. After a marathon 12-hour surgery she re-learned how sit, walk and control her whole body all over again. Due to the tumour being in such a vital part of her brain, not all of it could be surgically removed so chemotherapy begun as soon as possible. Again, fate was cruel and some of the remaining tumour continued to grow despite the treatment. 33 blasts of radiation, delivered daily under general anaesthetic was the next step, followed by yet more rounds of chemotherapy. Eva is now 6 and 3½ years in remission. She still suffers many side effects from both the tumour and the treatment and will continue to do so throughout her lifetime.

Hayden is fundraising for The Kids Cancer Project. Their mission is to support bold science that has the greatest chance of clinical success to improve childhood cancer treatments. Their long-term vision is to see a one hundred percent survival rate for children with cancer while eradicating the harmful impacts treatment can bring.

Hannes is fundraising for Neuroblastoma Australia who have three main objectives; to raise awareness of Neuroblastoma childhood cancer and increase the understanding and the need to support research in this area; to raise vital funds for research into the development of better, safer treatments for children diagnosed with Neuroblastoma now and in the future and to provide information and support to those affected by Neuroblastoma.

Please donate and help us support research into Childhood cancer. Thank you, love from Nora, Eva and their families. xxx



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