AUSTRALIA'S ORIGINAL AND BEST CAMP OVEN AND OUTDOOR COOKING CAMPING AND LIFESTYLE FORUM - Something Personal

Sep 15^th, 2020 at 10:27am

Derek Offline
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Maggie and I would like to share something very personal with you.

Our beautiful 13 year old grandson, Clayton, was born with heart defects that have deteriorated as he has gotten older.

He has spent a lot of time in and out of hospital and now things are so bad that the only way forward for the little guy is a new heart.

Yesterday morning he was flown by medical transport from Brisbane to Melbourne to be assessed for a heart transplant.

Not long after arrival clay had two significant Ventricular tachycardia episodes and is now in the ICU at Melbourne Childrens Hospital

Sadly for all of us the coronavirus has separated us from him at this time. Bek and Clay are down there on their own and Mat and their other two young boys are still in Brisbane.

His Mum, Bek, has set up a personal blog on Facebook to keep family and friends updated on how he is going and the link is below.

The page also has a link to a Go Fund Me page that Bek has set up to raise funds so the family are able to be together as much as possible.

We are told he could be down there for anything up to six month.

Please join with us all in wishing Clay a safe journey towards getting his new heart and a very positive outcome from all of this.

As soon as COVID permits Maggie and I will be driving down in the Motorhome to be close to them so we can visit.

Thanks.

https://www.facebook.com/The-road-to-a-new-heart-631680990800542

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Reply #1 - Sep 15^th, 2020 at 10:47am

Bear Offline
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Derek sorry to hear this know the pain of hurt and love for the grandkids. Our best wishes are with you for the family.

Robert and Molly

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Reply #2 - Sep 15^th, 2020 at 1:05pm

Chally Offline
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Sorry to hear Derek but he is in the right place now it seems. Our Thoughts and prayers go out to Clay and all the family during this difficult time.

Jeff & Jude

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Reply #3 - Sep 15^th, 2020 at 4:55pm

Kevvie Offline
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Hi Derek
Very sad to hear that news. I really hope everything goes well for him. I know he will have loving support from you, Maggie and his extended family.
regards Kev

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Reply #4 - Sep 15^th, 2020 at 11:26pm

shackles Offline
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We wish Clay and his family all the best.

Can't Get Full On Fancy

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Reply #5 - Sep 16^th, 2020 at 2:33pm

TBF Offline
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Done.

Prayers for A good outcome.

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Reply #6 - Sep 17^th, 2020 at 7:40am

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Very tough times for everyone not only Clay; our thoughts are with you and we send our love to all.
Murray and Judy

Have Camp Oven will travel

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Reply #7 - Sep 18^th, 2020 at 7:37pm

Derek Offline
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What a shitty week.

On a positive side Clay is getting good treatment at the Melbourne Children’s Hospital

On Wednesday my daughters Grandmother (my first wife’s mother) passed away. She naturally was also Clay’s Great Grandmother.

Bek is stuck in Melbourne and due to COVID is unable to return to Queensland for a funeral and has no family down there to support her during this horrible time and we cannot get into Melbourne until COVID restrictions are eased.

Have seen many similar stories in the press regarding separation of families due to the COVID rules and border closures but never ever thought it would hit us like this.

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Reply #8 - Sep 18^th, 2020 at 8:40pm

Chally Offline
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Not a good time for the family Derek; we hope things improve on the Covid front rather quickly.

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Reply #9 - Oct 24^th, 2020 at 9:26am

Derek Offline
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An update on our Clayton.

He is still in Melbourne however left hospital yesterday to move into hospital accommodation. This is just over the road from Melbourne Children’s Hospital. With his Mum being a nurse they have allowed this but she does have everything she needs including a defibrillator if needed.

The sad thing is things are not going too well for the little bloke. All of the testing has shown that his lungs have deteriorated to the stage where they would not cope with a new heart.

This means that he now needs a heart/lung transplant. In Australia these are rarely done and they only do 1 or 2 a year in Melbourne. In fact globally there are around 10 done a year.

For us all as a family it is currently just a waiting time until they can get everything in place and then they need the donor heart and lungs.

Border closures and Victorian lockdowns mean we cannot even get down there to see him. That is one of the hardest parts.

Maggie and I are ready to go as soon as something changes on the borders. We have Maggie’s daughter due with her baby (our 14th grandchild) in early December and don’t want to get down to Victoria and find we cannot get back for that either.

2020 has created hard times for many and now us as a family.

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