At the age of 7, Georgia Marshall  was diagnosed with Diffuse Intinsic Pontine Glioma –  a malignant inoperable brain tumour.  The Burzynski clinic in Houston Texas was recommended, as they offer treatment which may extend Georgia’s life expectancy from 6 – 12 months to a minimum of 2 years. It was hoped that after such time doctors, may  hopefully have more answers and better treatment to offer.

After being approached, WA Charity Direct did not hesitate in helping Georgia and her family.  WA Charity Direct provided funds to cover mounting medical bills.

Sadly on 14th January 2010 Georgia passed away.

Harley  Tucker is 18yrs old and severely disabled. Harley is bed ridden and house bound.  Harley is cared for by his Mum and dearly would like to take him to her sister’s house for Christmas.

WA Charity Direct funded a specially designed wheelchair which has allowed Harley’s family to take him outdoors to enjoy the sunshine  and to be included in family activities, something which has not possible been for years.  Thank you to Carers WA for providing assistance through the funding process.

Sadly in December 2011, Harley passed away at the age of 22.

The Ability Centre provides services and support to people living with cerebral palsy and their families throughout WA.  The Centre  strives to ensure inclusion of people with cerebral palsy and other disabilities in every facet of society.

Over the years, WA Charity Direct has assisted clients of The Ability Centre with purchases of:

• 3 Safe Surround Beds
• 2 Electric Beds
• 1 Pool Hoist.

Terresa  is the sole parent of  3 young children.  Her middle child is severely disabled and requires a great deal of assistance with all aspects of daily living.

Terresa had recently purchased a new station wagon as the family car.  Unfortunatley the car was stolen and subsequently burnt out including all the children’s equipment that was inside the boot space.   This act of vandalism left Terresa financially unable to replace the car and all the equipment needed.

Upon hearing of Terresa’s situation, WA Charity Direct donated a second hand station wagon and paid out the remainder of the existing loan.  This alleviated the financial pressure Terresa was put under by the thoughtless act of others.

The Cancer Supports Association’s (CSA)  key intention is to help people with cancer become informed, empowered and supported. CSA encourages an integrative, lifestyle approach to cancer and supports people through every stage of the cancer journey – from diagnosis to recovery.

WA Charity Direct donated funds to the CSA to assist a cancer patient meet the medical costs of a hospital treatment that was not covered under Medicare.

Sadly, the treatment was unsuccessful and the patient has since passed.

Seth and McKenzie Holder are brother and sister who have  an inherited genetic terminal illness. This illness, Late Infantile Ceroid Lipofuscinosis, or Battens Disease, results in deterioration of the brain and eyesight, to the point where the child usually dies around the age of 10.

A clinical trial using Gene Transfer Therapy was held in New York and the Holder family were accepted to participate in the trial. This requires frequent trips and lengthy stays in New York for the children to undergo the treatment procedures in hope to battle the disease. The therapy requires manufacturing the gene they are missing, attaching it to a virus and implanting it into the brain in the hope it spreads and is able to manufacture the enzyme they need to stop the cells from dying.

WA Charity Direct assisted the family by funding the required follow up visits.   The financial assistance allowed Seth, McKenzie  and their parents to travel  back to the US and to stay for the lengthy follow up treatments to the initial surgery.

The Conductive Education Centre of WA (CECWA) is an Incorporated Association that delivers Conductive Education (CE) programs for children. CE is a unique system of special education and rehabilitation that has been specifically developed for children who have motor disorders of a neurological origin, such as cerebral palsy. Unlike traditional therapy-based approaches, it does not set out to ‘treat’ children but to help them learn to overcome their learning disabilities, become self reliant and live full and fulfilling lives.

CECWA provides CE programs at Carson Street School, the State’s only primary education support school. The school provides education staff (including Teacher-Conductors, Education Assistants and Administration) while CECWA aims to provide a trans-disciplinary therapy team comprising a speech pathologist, occupational therapist and physiotherapist. At this stage, two of the three therapist positions are funded.

The programs are attended by children of pre-school age (0-4) as well as by a small number of school-age children. Sessions range from two-hour parent and child sessions to half and full-day classes.

The donation by WA Charity Direct enabled CECWA to engage a physiotherapist on the basis of 0.6 FTE (sufficient given program breaks during school holidays) and has increased the effectiveness of the existing programs significantly.

Conductive Education Centre of WA

Carers WA is a non-profit community based organisation and registered charity, dedicated to improving the lives of the estimated 250,000 family carers living in Western Australia. Part of the National Carers Association is recognized at both a state and national level, Carers WA represent carers interests in the Western Australian community. Their role is to work in active partnership with carers; persons with care/support needs, health professionals, service providers, government and the wider community to achieve an improved quality of life for the carers.

The Young Carers Program is focused on young carers who have sacrificed their own social life, careers, health and education in order to care for their family members. Many years of caring have had a negative impact on physical and mental health, with these young carers suffering from injuries such as back pain, joint stress, muscle/ tendon soreness and mental stress, isolation and depression. Carers WA organise social activities for these outstanding young people to make friends, have fun and support one another.

WA Charity Direct’s donation assisted in funding the 2007 Leeuwin Adventure for the Young Carers aged 13 to 18. This  voyage was a great success and allowed the participants to meet other young people in a similar situation.

Friends of Autism helps Western Australian families who are dealing with the pressures associated with childhood Autism. They help families ensure their home is set up for the children’s individual needs, inform families on how they can help the family unit stay together and have a forum to air their concerns in a safe and caring environment. The long term goal of Friends of Autism is to assist parents with creating a long term management system, allowing their children to become self sufficient in creating their own resources.

WA Charity Direct provided financial assistance to help set up the following:

• Provided an Autism specific library, complete with toys and activities to increase the skills of children with Autism.
• A series of 10 seminars held to teach coping techniques for families affected by Autism. Subjects include: parenting methods, therapy methods, keeping relationships and families together, setting up the home and preparing for the lifestyle changes brought about by the effects of Autism.
• A social story resource centre was founded, where parents are able to use specific Autism software to create social stories for changes in routine, introducing something new or explaining behavioral or personal issues.
• Learning packs and visual schedules for 10 families

The Esther Foundation runs a young women’s live-in rehabilitation program which helps support 40 young women afflicted with drug and alcohol addiction, self harming and mental health problems.  It also provides accommodation support for up to 40 young women, of which some may have children at the Esther-Elizabeth House.

WA Charity Direct donated funds to facilitate the following group activities: