One of Hellena's twins has leukemia

[Koala]

After a brief time out, it appears that Hellena's son is back in the hospital.  It seems they weren't aware of how limited he was going to be, and he was allowed to walk too much.  

On top of that, they are having an extremely difficult time securing the furnishings they need, and obviously funds are an issue as well.   

According to Hellena, they are both overwhelmed by the arrival of the rest of the family (although, I am sure she's glad to see them). They were able to meet the new neighbors when one her her children pretended to drown in the pool, and the neighbor scaled the fence to save him.  

I have a feeling that they are all in for a big adjustment, and not just because their brother is ill.  Major culture shock, and I won't be surprised if child services steps in at some point.

Edited October 30, 2016 by Koala

[Lurky]

8 hours ago, Koala said:

They were able to meet the new neighbors when one her her children pretended to drown in the pool, and the neighbor scaled the fence to save him.  

Uh....  what??

[justwatching]

Are there updates somewhere other than her blog?  I checked there the other day and found no mention of his illness.

[Koala]

She's updating on her public Facebook.

[ladyaudley]

6 hours ago, Lurky said:

Uh....  what??

I've done that as a kid. floating practice on your front, bets with your siblings on how long you'll be able to hold your  breath. 

[Koala]

Quote

 When Max was pretending to drown in our new pool, one of our neighbours leapt the fence and was busy saving him, till the ruse was called 

Max appears to be young...way to young to be in a pool without an adult.  

We (as a family) are extremely rigid about water safety. Pretending to drown isn't allowed, and adults must be poolside for kids to swim.  Accidents happen so fast.  Especially with that many kids.

[Lurky]

1 hour ago, ladyaudley said:

I've done that as a kid. floating practice on your front, bets with your siblings on how long you'll be able to hold your  breath. 

Sure, I have too, but if there with a sibling, it's obvious neighbour didn't need to scale the fence - sound much more than that.

1 hour ago, Koala said:

Max appears to be young...way to young to be in a pool without an adult.  

We (as a family) are extremely rigid about water safety. Pretending to drown isn't allowed, and adults must be poolside for kids to swim.  Accidents happen so fast.  Especially with that many kids.

Totally agree. 

[SummerRocks]

After reading a while about this family, mainly through Hellena's public Facebook page, I feel like these parents very much in love with each other (great for them!) but I wonder if the same love is going towards their children.

Hellena writes a lot about missing Currawong (husband) and seems very nostalgic about the good times they have had. Nothing wrong with all of this obviously but you have a very very very sick child on your hands now. When said sick child gets discharged from the hospital you are putting him in a shopping cart (yes with pillow and blanket) and walk around with him? Huh ... what  who does that?!

"I had a beautiful life and home and lifestyle in an iconic cultural region that lays now in tatters. Totally changed forever in the blink of an eye. I'll never be the organic-mother-of-so-many-healthy-children-with-no-major-illnesses again."

 

 

Edited November 3, 2016 by SummerRocks

[JMO]

I agree with @Koala.  Child services are going to have to step in at some point.  Their free flowing life style is going to be met with a very rigid, chemo laden schedule.  At some point she or both of them is going to decide that "it's too much for his little body" or that they are being given restrictions that are too rigid.  Even families with a less alternative life style could/would think these things.  But she's in a situation that's not only stressful and draining but having to give medications and treatments when she is very much into alternative healing methods.  I fully expect her to rebel at some point and start talking about wanting to find an alternative cure.  I hope she doesn't and from what has been said on here child services would step in and mandate it, but this is going to be a huge adjustment for all of them. 

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

Good grief I had to actually go check her FB page to see what on you meant. She actually took her young son who just had chemo out walking?!! I get she's a bit bored and stir crazy but I am just shocked anyone ANYONE would think that's a good idea. 

 

[Koala]

Yeah, it was a really bad idea.  I thought she had a good grasp on how sterile his environment needs to be, but I absolutely cringed when I saw him in that grocery cart with God knows how many germs.  This is going to be a learning curve for her.  She really needs someone to come along side her and teach her how to do things....this is just not a lifestyle she's accustomed to.

As sad as I am sure it makes her, their old life is gone for now...possibly forever. Preserving her son's health is going to take every ounce of energy she has.  

I wonder if at some point they will put the others in school....

 

Edited November 4, 2016 by Koala

[kunoichi66]

On 03/11/2016 at 3:30 PM, SummerRocks said:

After reading a while about this family, mainly through Hellena's public Facebook page, I feel like these parents very much in love with each other (great for them!) but I wonder if the same love is going towards their children.

Hellena writes a lot about missing Currawong (husband) and seems very nostalgic about the good times they have had. Nothing wrong with all of this obviously but you have a very very very sick child on your hands now. When said sick child gets discharged from the hospital you are putting him in a shopping cart (yes with pillow and blanket) and walk around with him? Huh ... what  who does that?!

"I had a beautiful life and home and lifestyle in an iconic cultural region that lays now in tatters. Totally changed forever in the blink of an eye. I'll never be the organic-mother-of-so-many-healthy-children-with-no-major-illnesses again."

 

 

What happened?  Is there anything on the site about this?

[Vex]

I am definitely happy she got her son conventional medical treatment. H & C refuse to get jobs and live off the fairly generous Centrelink money given to them for their kids, so they're definitely using the public system, but better the public system than alternative medicine only bullshit. This is why public health care is so important. I hope Merlin does well and gets better.

STA: She took him out in a shopping cart right after chemo?!

Edited November 10, 2016 by Vex

[Palimpsest]

21 hours ago, kunoichi66 said:

What happened?  Is there anything on the site about this?

The title and content of this thread will give you an idea.

She seems to be updating on FB rather than her blog.

 

 

[hoipolloi]

Hellena seems to be on board with the medical care & oversight they're receiving:

Quote

 

And please.......I've been doing the rounds of conspiracies and contradictions to western medicine for years now.....please don't give me any unsolicited advice on cancer cures or diets. Unless you've gone through chemotherapy with a child on steroids, that changes their tastebuds and gives them voracious and specific appetites, or sat with them for hours trying to get them to take foul tasting medicines, you've got no fucking idea.

I'm very blessed to have a brilliant hive mind of specialists in all sorts of areas, from western to eastern to every alternative, and if I want advice I'll ask for it

 

Good for her.

This is a very rough road. My youngest brother died of childhood leukemia 50+ years ago at age 4. At that time it was an absolute death sentence. There was a lot of pain & suffering for him (and my parents). I remember my mother saying that one of the hardest things for her was the steady, well-meaning flow of "suggestions" and "cures" from friends & acquaintances while my parents were working with my brother's medical team, whom they trusted. Nowadays, many childhood leukemias can actually be cured or at least become a chronic condition in many cases. I hope Merlin's case is one of them.

[SummerRocks]

On November 9, 2016 at 5:02 PM, kunoichi66 said:

What happened?  Is there anything on the site about this?

Hellena is in the hospital with Merlin - Currawong was with the other children wherever they lived before, now they moved into a rental house closer to the hospital. 

Recent Facebook post says that one of the other children has the chicken pox currently and Merlin seems to be in a lot of pain. 

 

[Palimpsest]

4 hours ago, hoipolloi said:

Hellena seems to be on board with the medical care & oversight they're receiving:

Good for her.

This is a very rough road. My youngest brother died of childhood leukemia 50+ years ago at age 4. At that time it was an absolute death sentence. There was a lot of pain & suffering for him (and my parents). I remember my mother saying that one of the hardest things for her was the steady, well-meaning flow of "suggestions" and "cures" from friends & acquaintances while my parents were working with my brother's medical team, whom they trusted. Nowadays, many childhood leukemias can actually be cured or at least become a chronic condition in many cases. I hope Merlin's case is one of them.

Thanks for sharing that.  Yes.  Hellena seems to be doing her level best.  

She has had to give up her delusion that living as "organically" as she did guaranteed healthy children.  

Now this may seem weird, but as we don't know Merlin's actual prognosis - perhaps giving him an outing was the best thing for him psychologically.  Hellena is his Mum and she obviously cares deeply for him.

Australian CPS *may* get involved, if she really goes over-board, but right now I think Hellena is doing the best she can.  I want to give her a break.

I hate second guessing this sort of situation when the parents seem to be doing their best.

 

[Grimalkin]

     Awwww, I was sorry to see this pop up. I do feel for the family. This is a tough journey for all of them. I hope they have a really good expierience at the hospital with the staff and "normal" people. I think she is open to learning new things and seeing there is a lot of good in regular society. It would open up thier world.

       I don't think her missing C or mourning her old life means she doesn't love her kids as much. She is facing a tough ordeal without her soul mate and kids. She must feel like a fish out of water. I think she is stepping up to the challenge. 

[hoipolloi]

1 hour ago, Palimpsest said:

Now this may seem weird, but as we don't know Merlin's actual prognosis - perhaps giving him an outing was the best thing for him psychologically.  Hellena is his Mum and she obviously cares deeply for him.

I see nothing wrong with continuing to use or follow the "eastern" or "alternative" practices she mentions, in addition to the western medical protocols in place. Doubtless, Merlin is used to some of these things and if they're not harmful in any way they could well make him feel better & more comfortable/relaxed in the hospital. 

Being a parent with a seriously ill child in hospital is incredibly hard. Seems to me that Hellena is doing about as well as anyone can in this situation.

[Milly-Molly-Mandy]

I hope she vaccinates her other kids now. Marlin is so vulnerable. 

[kunoichi66]

23 hours ago, SummerRocks said:

Hellena is in the hospital with Merlin - Currawong was with the other children wherever they lived before, now they moved into a rental house closer to the hospital. 

Recent Facebook post says that one of the other children has the chicken pox currently and Merlin seems to be in a lot of pain. 

 

Aaaah....I thought he had died, or was working away...it didn't occur to me.

Thank you!

[Chicken bones]

Just looked up her blog (after not seeing any real updates in Sparkling Lauren) and Hellena has a new post up from 2 weeks ago. Happily, her son is well and on a maintenance protocol. She talked a lot about what a huge transition it was to change their lifestyle in many ways, but is totally on board.  I'm happy for her family, that they are together again and that she is also taking steps to work on her own mental health during such a stressful time. Her fibre art still scares the bejeezus outta me but i like the lady.

[Hellena Post]

I've done this a few times now, come to talk to you mob, but get to this point and freeze.  It is a bit intimidating coming into a forum of folk who throw around massive assumptions, and some of whom think I'm a pontificating, lice ridden, disease soaked hippy who should have my children investigated by child protection services...........but I've been there myself in my mormon youth and other purist incarnations, and I swear sometimes it seems like some of you like me    Sometimes I even feel a bit sentimental about you.  My first online haters   And you taught me a lot.  So here I am. 

 

[feministxtian]

Welcome Hellena! I hope Merlin is doing well. Sending you all good thoughts. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

I don't know much about your family but I do hope your son is Doing well along with your family.