SAMUEL Thorne's greatest hope is to escape the confines of the Lady Cilento Hospital to return back home.
While the 10-year-old is fit to leave, he is ward-bound until his family’s house can be adjusted to suit his needs.
However, his discharge from the hospital’s intensive care ward could happen sooner than expected thanks to a $10,000 donation from the Cleveland branch of Heritage Bank, which came after a request for help was made by his grandfather Eric Thorne, of Ormiston.
Raffles, free dress days, donated painting auctions and morning teas hosted by the branch staff all helped to raise the needed funds, with the money doubled to $10,000 by Heritage Bank’s head office.
Branch manager Amii Gill said it was a team effort to respond to the call made by Mr Thorne, who has been a Heritage Bank customer for 50 years.
“Heritage Bank matched the donation so we were able to present Samuel and his family with a cheque for $10,000, to make getting him home from hospital a little bit closer,” she said.
Samuel’s body was left permanently paralysed more than a year ago after he contracted neurological condition Transverse Myelitis. Aside from a small amount of movement in his right leg and toe, he is now a quadriplegic who requires around-the-clock assistance.
Widened hallways, the addition of a bed-hoist and shower seating at his home are just some of the adjustments needed to help Samuel get by in his day-to-day life, which now includes breathing apparatus, eye-gaze technology to talk and a motorised wheelchair.
While the condition has devastated his mobility, it has had no affect on his intellect. Samuel, a lover of chemistry and other sciences, is still as bright as ever.
Despite all the hardship suffered in the past 12 months, along with time-off school, Samuel achieved higher-than-average percentile scores in the NAPLAN tests he completed this year. The grade five student, who can recite the periodic table's 42 elements, attends the hospital’s school.
Samuel’s family, who rush to his side every day, are now determined to do all they can to give their beloved and clever son the best possible quality of life. Bringing him home is the first step.
But it all comes at a cost – more than $350,000 is needed to purchase the initial equipment and house refurbishment outlay, with up to $80,000 every year after to replace out-grown and worn-out items.
With $90,000 already spent on the purchase of a modified, wheel-chair friendly car, the ongoing financial commitment is out of reach for his parents Jane and Craig.
To find out more or to make a tax-deductible donation to the cause, visit campaignforsamuel.org.au.
