Sophie was a beautiful, perfect, bright eyed little girl born to parents Peta and Brett, and big brother Jake in March 2018. As Peta describes it, they had “no idea what would unfold in the coming weeks after her birth. It was a normal pregnancy and birth.”
Sophie was not feeding well […]
Tamika is a fun-loving twelve year old who has been coming to Hummingbird House for a few years. Tamika is often joined by her brother Bryson who is six years old, and loves to be outdoors. Tamika and Bryson have four other siblings, and live with their mum Virginia and dad Chris in […]
Mum Jenna recalls the day her beautiful boys Archie and Henry were born. “Like any other young family expecting their first child, or in our case twins, we were excited about what lay ahead for our instant family of four. The boys were born 10 weeks early at Mater Mothers’ Hospital on the […]
Liam is a brave, sweet 2 and a half year old, who loves cuddles. He is the much loved son of Michelle and Ashley, and big brother to twins Aidan and Cameron. When he was three weeks old, Liam was diagnosed with epileptic encephalopathy, and is not able to do anything independently.
Florence is a beautiful baby girl who is always happy and full of wonderment. She is Leo’s little sister and the daughter of Ellie and Brett who live in Gladstone.
Florence was born with a rare neurological disorder which paralyses all the muscles surrounding her mouth and throat, and arthrogryposis, which means every joint in her body is contracted.
There’s a very high chance that Florence will never be able to breathe on her own, eat food, talk or walk. But she is growing and meeting her own milestones in her own way. She is really social, loves being around people, and of course getting attention.
Zoey is a very cheeky nine-year old girl who loves ABBA, Pig the Pug books and going to school. According to her mum, she has the “most beautiful eyes and longest eyelashes you’ve ever seen. She loves cuddles and is always happiest when someone curls up with her for a nap.” Zoey has a life-limiting condition that means she is unable to sit, use her hands purposefully, talk or eat and she suffers from chronic chest infections and uncontrolled seizures.
“How do you put it into words what it means to come to Hummingbird House?” Mason Haevecker’s mum Renee thought for a moment and then responded: “the break. The kids can be themselves. Mason is 24/7. We can all just breathe out and get a break.”
As far as Megan Firster and her family knew, their baby boy was a healthy baby. “There were no indications otherwise”, says Megan. “He was just an incredibly relaxed and ‘chill’ little boy”. […]
When asked what’s their favourite thing about coming to Hummingbird House, Kyran Dunlop’s mum Carissa laughs and says “there’s too many! We get time out as a family. Kyran’s sisters love it here. It’s like being on holidays. We get time together without having to remember when medications are due, and Kyran is really happy to be here.”
How do you explain why it’s important to be able to switch off and just be mum? How do you correct people who assume your daughter is sleeping? These are the questions Charli Flannery-McRae’s mum Louise regularly deals with. It is through friendships made at Hummingbird House that Louise is finding the answers.