Final countdown to create memories
Despite Iziyah Moemai’s medical conditions, he’s one cool little dude who’s determined to make the most of life.
Iziyah is 5 years old and was diagnosed with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) in February 2013.
CGD is an immune cell disorder that leads to long-term and recurrent infections, he is also legally blind and only has limited vision in his left eye.
When he was only 2 years old Iziyah underwent a bone marrow transplant and had a third of his lung removed.
Even though his vision is quite stable at the moment, Iziyah will eventually lose it and his mum Dani Noyer wants to try create as many memories as she can.
‘‘We don’t really know the timeline,’’ she says.
Iziyah’s immune system is still very weak and is unable to attend school.
Noyer is teaching him from home but hopes he can attend the Blind and Low Vision Education Network’s Homai Campus School in Manurewa, Auckland next year.
‘‘It would be pretty amazing to get some sort of normal but it’s still a big question mark because of his health,’’ she says.
Noyer is trying to create as many visual memories for Iziyah as she can but says it’s a struggle when his immune system is so weak and accounts for a lot of planning and preparation.
‘‘If we go to the supermarket or anywhere with a lot of people he wears a mask to help protect him as you just don’t know what germs are around or what people are carrying,’’ she says.
While Iziyah has been in and out of Starship Children’s Hospital he made a friend, Maddison Giles, who is hosting a market to raise money for him to create more memories.
Maddi’s Market started in 2014 as she was undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at the time. Maddi went into remission at the start of 2016.
‘‘Maddison decided she wanted to do it for her friend Iziyah, she said he needed to have a little fun in his life before he goes blind,’’ mum Penny Hinchelwood says.
Maddi’s Market will be held on August 13 for Iziyah at Titirangi Baptist Church in West Auckland from 11am till 2pm.
Search Iziyah’s Intrepid Journey on Facebook to follow his journey and for more information on the market.