Tank water leads to deadly lung infection

FOR 16-year-old Warwick girl Holly Aspinall, running the taps isn’t water wasting, it is life saving — but when drought hit, the teenager was looking down the barrel of permanent lung damage.

The Assumption College student suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, a condition that means even a common cold could land her in a Brisbane hospital under specialist care for weeks.

So when she started heading regularly to hospital with a recurring common bacteria infection, her family began to worry.

Concerned, the family soon got their water tested which confirmed their biggest fear.

The tanks on the family’s Wildash property contained a multitude of bacteria which could be life threatening to Holly. “Most people who have a tank would have it and most people would carry it,” dad Darren said. “Me and Jo could have it in our nasal cavities but it doesn’t affect us to the way it affects Holly.”

One way to minimise the risk to Holly was to leave the showers and taps running. But when drought hit, that solution stopped being a possibility.

A $13,000 specialised water filter was the ultimate answer to Holly’s worries, but since NDIS does not cover CF, Jody and Darren would be left to pay for the item out of pocket.

That was until a heartwarming grant by Variety Queensland changed their luck.

While the infection had colonised in Holly’s lungs, since the filter has been installed she had been to the hospital less.

To donate to Variety to help more kids like Holly, go to variety.org.au/qld