Remi W


		Remi W ~ ‘Beach, Water, Fish’


	DATE OF BIRTH: November 13th, 1999 ILLNESS: Wilm’s Tumour Stage IV


	Remi’s Quilt Stitchers: Australian: Anne~Lismore, Elaine~Cambelltown, Heather~GoldCoast, Janet~Toowoomba, Julie~Beerwah, Mandy~Tasmania, Mel~Perth, Sam~Mt.Larcom, Stuart~Tasmania, Tamara~Canberra, Tracey~GoldCoast. International: Angelika~Germany, Audrey~Scotland, Debi~USA, Gayle~USA, Julia~USA, Kim~USA, Sonda~USA, Susan~Canada.

		Fabric Donation: Evelyn~Autumn Threads, Julie~Redcliffe, Mandy~Tasmania, Nola~Gladstone.

BIOGRAPHY

Up until Remi was diagnosed with Cancer at the age of 5, he had not be sick at all. Then on the 5th July 2005, Remi was diagnosed with a Wilm's Tumor Stage IV- Cancer in his left kidney which was the size of a standard house brick and secondary in the lungs. Due to the size of the tumor doctors were unable to remove it and he would have to undergo 10 weeks of radical chemotherapy. At this point doctors only gave him 50% survival rate. For the next 10 weeks Remi had an intensive Chemotherapy regime. During this first two weeks in hospital he had to have a feeding tube put in his nose and down into his stomach as he had lost so much weight, about ten kilograms, and was continuing to lose more weight. His weight had got down to 18 kilograms.

Remi: I was one of the lucky ones during my Chemotherapy treatment because I did not get too sick from my treatment, I was normally sick over night but by the next day I was pretty good compared to the others kids in the Ward. After two weeks in Banksia the doctors told mum and I we could go home, I thought I was going home to Laidley, but my home for the next five months was going to be Ronald McDonald House. For the next ten weeks, 12 hours a night my mum got up every two hours to fill the feeding bag so I could put on weight. The best thing about having a nose tube in was all my medication went in it and I did not have to taste or swallow it. A couple of times during the ten weeks of having my tube in my little brother Cody who was only 18 moths old, pulled it out and I had to have it put in again. That was the worse part because it hurt so much, but I learnt if you laid still and swallow when you felt the tube going in, it made the nurse’s job easier and it really did not hurt, just uncomfortable.

At Ronald McDonald House, we met so many sick kids from all over Queensland and northern New South Wales. The best part of being there for so long was we got to have Christmas in July, have a big Christmas feast and get presents off Santa. During this time Miss Phillips – (Remi's grade one teacher from Immaculate Heart), would come and visit us on a weekly basis and bring plenty of food to eat. All the parents at the school had decided to have a weekly cooking roster and bake all our meals for us. Miss Phillips and sometimes her mum and little brother would help her deliver the meals to either the hospital ward or Ronald McDonald House. This continued for the whole time we stayed at The House. The school also had a fun raising day and brought me a hand held gameboy and clothes. Thank you.

Today, Remi has had his left kidney removed, partial removal of right lung and is now in remission. We all hope he continues to stay well and the cancer does not return.

Written by Remi and his Mum.