Stephen, Chelsi's Dad (3 years old & in a wheelchair for life)

I was lost for words when the doctors first told me my daughter Chelsi, a happy and active three-year-old girl, would be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Chelsis dad, Stephen Stephen Carr was shopping in June this year when he received a phone call informing him his family had been involved in an accident. He found out upon arriving at Cairns Base Hospital his son Steven and daughter Chelsi were seriously injured in a car crash. Stephen saw his son in the emergency room and was relieved when Steven managed a little smile. However the Intensive Care Unit nurses explained Chelsi had sustained major injuries and needed to undergo surgery. The nurses told me I wouldnt see much of Chelsi because she would be all covered up. It was gut-wrenching and hard to comprehend, Stephen said. Chelsi had a neck brace on and lay on the hospital bed lifeless. She had to go back into surgery again once her condition had stabilised. A few days after the accident, Stephen met with the orthopaedic doctors and braced himself for more bad news. Chelsi had damaged her spinal cord and was diagnosed a T9 paraplegic. This meant she was paralysed from the waist down. The doctors said she would be taken to the Royal Childrens Hospital in Brisbane for recovery treatment, Stephen said. Chelsi underwent an operation at the Royal Childrens Hospital to strengthen her back. She was then fitted with a cast which she wore for three months. Its been a long journey for Chelsi and our family. She had many speech therapy and physiotherapy sessions to improve her condition. I also had to learn how to care for her and most importantly, remain her pillar of strength. Stephen appreciates the importance of supporting the Royal Childrens Hospital Foundation as it invests in ground breaking research, faster diagnoses, better treatments and ultimately cures. We have received a lot of support from the Royal Childrens Hospital Foundation and the volunteers. They made a difference to Chelsis road to recovery and made our lives so much easier. On average five children every week are retrieved from regional areas and transported to the Royal Childrens Hospital for specialist care. The hospital treats more than 30,000 children every year from all over Queensland and beyond. Thank you for supporting the Kids Christmas Appeal and helping to work wonders for sick kids like Chelsi.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Chelsi
• paraplegic
• sick kids
• hospital
• RCHF
• paralysed
• Christmas
• Appeal
• rehabilitation
• car
• accident
• wheelchair

[436068]

all is gonna be alright. I'm a T7 paraplegic and I live for 4 years in a wheelchair and I hope for that this condition will be dramatically changed in a few years.

keep the faith and my best regards from Brazil.

[redfenderguy]

god bless her mate i hope things work out for her