SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION
HER OWN HEALTH BATTLES GIVE 17-YEAR-OLD MADISON BEARD THE STRENGTH TO ALSO CARE FOR OTHERS
As one of only a handful of teenagers at Ronald Mcdonald House Adelaide, Madison Beard has turned her extended years of treatment and recovery into a positive experience for her younger housemates.
Despite suffering from Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Scoliosis and a rectal prolapse which has seen her fitted with a temporary colostomy bag, Madi has taken her health challenges in her stride by spending time caring for others.
“Madi loves the younger kids at the house,” says mum, Marie. “She keeps them entertained by playing games and colouring with them – she wants to get into childcare one day.”
Madi and her mother have been regular faces at Ronald Mcdonald House Adelaide for 12 years.
“We started using the house back in 2006 when my other daughter Paige was diagnosed with cancer,” explains Marie. “At the time Madi had her 5th birthday there and she’s just celebrated her 17th at Ronnie Mac house. I don’t know where we’d be without it – Madi’s grown up there.”
“It’s great because there are other mums at the house you can talk to,” she says. “Even though they don’t have the same issues as your family, you all just understand what the other person is going through.”
After Paige sadly passed away in June 2010, Marie and Madi’s time at the house continued, as Madi’s own health issues began to worsen, including her scoliosis.
“Madi wore a spinal brace until she was 13 and then had the fusion, which meant we were at the house for several months while she had surgery and recovered,” explains Marie.
Despite the extent of her surgery, Madi found the strength to speak to other young girls prior to their own spinal fusions.“the doctor actually got Madi to talk to them because they knew she knew what it was like”, explains Marie.
After Madi’s spinal fusion, life was improving until she experienced a recurring rectal prolapse, which required extensive time in hospital.
“We’ve now officially been at the house more than at home,” says Marie.
Despite a number of surgeries, Madi was fitted with a temporary colostomy bag for six months – however the prolapse returned after the bag was removed and she’s since been given a new ileostomy until her bowel can be retrained to function on its own.
In the meantime, Madi keeps her spirits up by looking to the future. “She’s bought all these shorts and tops that girls her age would wear for when the ileostomy is reversed,” says Marie. “We’re just trying to give her things to look forward to including a road trip to visit friends we made at the Ronald Mcdonald house.”
Marie believes the experiences Madi has gone through have helped her daughter become a truly amazing and capable young woman.
“All this has made Madi more empathetic, more sympathetic and stronger.”