After 4 years of fundraising Lisa still seen the lack of support in Country areas with support based in the City & unfortunately heartkids were unable to get more localised support so Lisa took the necessary steps to establish Gippsland Rhythm & Wings which is a Not for Profit Charity to help Country families who have or who have lost a child to heart disease. With over 200 children in the Warragul/ Drouin area alone Lisa hopes to be able to start a regular support group & although everyone has different needs Lisa & her amazing team of volunteers hope to offer whatever support they can to help those going through their own Heart journeys.

Aiden Story

Aiden was born in August 2005 & at 3 weeks of age he had a cold. At 4 weeks Lisa knew something wasn’t quite right & took Aiden to see a doctor. Sent away numerous times after being told he was completely fine she endeavored to get answers as she knew in her heart that something was wrong. After going to the doctors 5 times in a week she was finally referred to a local pediatrician. Aiden was just off 11 weeks old when that appointment finally happened on the Friday & Lisa was told she was being a Typical first time mum worrying about nothing. No “normal” tests were taken to check Aiden, Heart wasn’t listened to nor blood pressure taken 2 major things that should have been routine. By Saturday night Aiden spent the entire night screaming & with no rest at all Lisa called the local
hospital who said they were flat out with sports injuries & said a GP would be quicker & was then told who was working on the Sunday. There the doctor again took no temperature, didn’t listen to chest or take blood pressure & Lisa was told Aiden had Gastro (although there was no vomiting or diarrhea) Later that day Lisa had had enough & knew something was seriously wrong when Aiden was still screaming uncontrollably, sweating like nothing she had seen before yet ice cold to touch so he was rushed to the local hospital. Here Aiden was given just 2 hours to live, he was dying in front of staff but they had never seen anything like it so had no idea what was killing him. With phone talks with specialists at Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) in Melbourne the staff were able to stabilize Aiden long
enough for NETS (Newborn Emergency Transport Services) to go via RCH to pick up someone who
could help try keep Aiden alive long enough to get him back to RCH. Initially a helicopter was ordered but then cancelled as staff were told without knowing the issue the altitude may kill him which is why NETS based in Geelong got the call. After numerous close calls in losing Aiden they finally arrived at RCH at 4:10am where Aiden was taken straight to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). By 7:30 a cardiologist by the name of Professor Menahem had taken Aiden’s parents aside to say he had a severe heart condition known as Dilated Cardiomyopathy (which affects 12 in a million children) & that he had very little chance of survival. After 3 weeks in RCH Lisa was asked “There is nothing more we can do here that you can’t do at home, Do you want to remember his life spent in hospital or take him
home & make the most of the time you have left?” This by far was the hardest decision Lisa had to make on her own but she took him home with a 1% chance he would see his first Christmas just 3 weeks away. Aiden now 14 & doing exceptionally well is Lisa’s motivation to help other families in Country areas