Backyard blitz a boost for brave young Rory
AN AMAZING makeover has given a Hamlyn Heights family the dream garden they hoped to create before their world was turned on its head.
Parents Josh and Gemma were in the middle of creating a lovely home and backyard for their two sons Rory, 4, and Hayden, 6, — when their youngest son was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer.
Mrs Berry took Rory to his GP after he started falling asleep at kinder and showing signs of extreme tiredness.
Sensing something was not right doctors ordered MRI scans and tests, which revealed Rory had fluid on his brain and multiple tumours extending down his spinal cord.
Rory was diagnosed with the extremely rare and incurable disseminated glioneuronal tumours .
In that moment everything changed for the young family.
“It was a huge shock,” Mrs Berry said. “His symptoms were that he was tired — he was falling asleep at kinder, getting unsteady … but we didn’t expect the diagnosis.”
While the cancer is not curable it is treatable, and Rory has had a shunt inserted to drain fluid from his brain and is currently undergoing his 10th week of a 68-week chemotherapy dose.
The family has been forced to travel weekly to the Royal Children’s Hospital so Rory can receive a trial drug.
This significant change to the family’s life meant their dreams of renovating their house were put to the side.
Amid medical appointments Mrs Berry made a snap decision to apply for a Gordon TAFE garden makeover in the hope that talented designers would be able to transform the family garden from a concrete slab into a wonderful playground for the boys.
On Saturday the $40,000 makeover was unveiled.
“Since Rory’s diagnosis there is one room that I’ve tried to remove wallpaper from. (The house) has not been our focus, but all we had ever wanted was a nice place for our boys,” Mrs Berry said.
She said Rory loves the outdoors, including digging in the sandpit and playing with trucks, and was delighted to now have a place he could relax in between treatment.
“I wanted a garden for the kids — Rory and his brother love playing outdoors,” Mrs Berry said. The new garden — complete with a playground, barbecue area and entertaining space — provides everything the family has dreamt of and means they can spend their precious weekends together in a comfortable and fun place.
“The reveal was very overwhelming. It was great to know how much support we have from the community,” Mrs Berry said.
Doctors are hopeful the chemotherapy will stop Rory’s tumours from spreading and that the trial drug could reduce the impact of the disease on his life.