Starting 2005 with a splash!

BRAVE Coomera boy Christopher Knight will see in the New Year with a big splash.

And it's all thanks to the overwhelm­ing generosity of a local pool building company and its contractors and sup­pliers who have banded together to make the little boy's dream of having his own pool come true.

Christopher, seven, who was born with two rare life-threatening lung con­ditions, last week took his first dip in the $20,000 pool donated by Gold Coast Family Pools And Spas owners Martin and Michelle Torrance and their fellow benefactors.

And Christopher's verdict? "It's a cool pool."

Christopher's mother, Tracey, who has lived on a knife-edge ever since her son was born, said the pool would pro­vide vital exercise therapy and also a new social outlet for her little boy whose ill health meant he led a very isolated life.

Christopher was born with diffuse alveolar damage and interstitial fibrosis, conditions that prevent oxygen from passing through his lungs.

He could not survive without the high concentration of oxygen that is his permanent life support, nightly naso­gastric tube feeding and a plethora of drugs and supplements.

Doctors did not believe Christopher would survive when he was born with the rare genetic condition. But he proved them wrong and now he is the only known case in the world to have survived so long.

He desperately needs a double lung transplant, but doctors will not even consider such an operation until he reaches at least 13.

Although he has to fight for every breath Christopher loves life, and, says Tracey, it is his life force and his mental strength that keeps him alive.

However, the extensive use of strong steroid drugs in his treatment has caused the brittle bone disease osteoporosis, which is extremely-painful for him.

Because of his poor health Christopher can attend school only two days a week and must have a carer by his side the whole time.

Until this week playing in a pool was something he could only dream of be­cause of the risk of his picking up an infection in a public pool.

Now, although unable to swim be­cause of the oxygen tubes, he can dc gentle exercises in the sparkling new, the ­ seven metres by four metres Roman-­style pool.

"Because his body is supported by the water Chris can move more freely and with less pain than on dry land. said Tracey, who never has a sin g le night's undisturbed sleep because her son's lungs have to be suctioned every two to three hours and lines continually checked as he could survive only 15 minutes without his life support.

"He breathes like he's running a marathon, but I have been told he cannot have any stronger , concentration of oxygen than he is on now and still live at home," said Tracey.

But despite the tough card he has been dealt Christopher is a smart, chirpy little boy and Tracey has tried to make his life as stimulating as possible.

His mother has made a beau­tiful home for him and he has pets - a rag doll cat and two gentle little whippets - to play with. And there is always relax­ation music playing in the house to help keep him calm and breathing as easily as possible.

Tracey said Christopher's wish for a pool had first come to light a year ago when a friend, Michelle Deverill, approached a children's charity on his behalf.

"He only wanted a blow-up pool, but the charity called for quotes for an in-ground pool," said Tracey.

Martin and Michelle from Gold Coast Family Pools And Spas were among the com­panies that quoted on the job, but then Tracev was told the charity could not go ahead with the pool.

"Martin and Michelle had said when they quoted that if the project did not proceed, they might be able to help if they could get enough support," said Tracey. And they lived up to that promise.

Tracey said there were no words that could adequately thank Gold Coast Pools and the other companies and individ­uals, including Poolsurf, Newman Steel, Gary Burton Plumbing, Custom Pave, Jy Paxton, Robina CAD, Tom and Eli Rapana, Trevor Wilson, Bruce Turley, Steven Delaney, John

Gill, Phil Arnold, and the Pool Doctor, who had helped make the pool a reality.

Michelle Torrance said this was third pool the company had built for a sick child.
"Despite everyone being flat out, everyone we asked to help pitched in, often after work, and it took only five weeks to make it happen," she said.

"It was a huge effort, es­pecially as it's such a busy time of year, but I think everyone wanted to help because like us they are all lucky enough to have healthy children."

Tracey said she could not thank enough all those involved. "It's opened up a whole new world for Christopher," she said. "I'm just so grateful."

Article as taken from the
GOLD COAST SUN
Wednesday, December 29, 2004