Appeal raises money for kids’ wards
LIKE many with cystic fibrosis, bubbly two-year-old Ashlee SharpCrowley gives little clue she is sick.
Naenae mum Katilena Sharp said that during Ashlee’s current seven-week stay in Wellington Hospital’s children ward, because of viral complications, her daughter had certainly made herself at home.
‘‘She’s very strong-minded. She’s been telling the nurses what to do and how to do it.
‘‘When she was first here, she was telling everyone to go away but now she’s actually quite happy to have all the people around.’’
Ashlee is one of the patients who could benefit from this year’s Countdown Kids Hospital Appeal, which started yesterday.
Last year it raised $1.2 million for children’s wards around the country.
Doctors first suspected Ashlee had cystic fibrosis when she was three weeks old. Genetic testing confirmed it several months later. She spent nine of the first 15 months of her life in hospital, Ms Sharp said.
About 450 New Zealanders have the inherited genetic condition, which causes a buildup of mucus in body organs. There is no cure.
Mucus in the lungs and digestive system are particular problems, requiring intensive management plans.
Ashlee was now on a strict regime of physiotherapy, intravenous antibiotics, and pills to digest food.
Toughest
of
all
for
the
effer- vescent girl – a huge Dora the Explorer fan – was staying still for seven nebuliser sessions a day to clear her lungs.
‘‘They’re trying times. needs lots of distraction.’’
Yesterday, she had a permanent medical port surgically inserted into her jugular vein, near her collarbone, replacing daily injections.
Ms Sharp had no idea what cystic fibrosis was before the diagnosis. ‘‘Worrying about her being different – that was the first thing that came to my mind,’’ she said. ‘‘But I think she’ll do whatever she wants to do.’’
An adult friend with the condition had been an enormous help to the family. ‘‘It’s also encouraging for me to see someone doing so well at that age.’’
An oxygen machine that helped Ashlee breathe was bought for the children’s ward with proceeds from past hospital appeals.
She