Julia Banks (Chisholm, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The unconditional love of a mother and grandmother came to my office in Chisholm in recent weeks. A very worried Oakleigh grandmother, Charlotte McLatchie, needed our urgent assistance and support to enable her newborn baby granddaughter to travel to Melbourne from Vietnam for life-saving treatment. Charlotte's son Tim, currently working as a teacher in Vietnam, and his partner Tram, experienced the joy of the birth of their baby girl, Caroline; however, their joy was short-lived as Caroline suffered seizures and other signs that something was horribly wrong. She was diagnosed with digeorge syndrome, a rare chromosome defect that causes congenital heart disease and numerous autoimmune disorders.

Caroline needs to be transported to Melbourne for lifesaving specialist treatment, a move that would cost the family $140,000. The Paediatric Infant Perinatal Emergency Retrieval team—PIPER—and the Royal Children's Hospital are working hard to ensure baby Caroline's safe journey back home for this treatment. Baby Caroline's parents' and grandma Charlotte's strength in the face of such adversity is an inspiration to us all. The community support shown to baby Caroline is testament to the Australian spirit of generosity and a GoFundMe campaign has been set up. But more money is needed. If you'd like to add your support for baby Caroline and her family, please go to www.gofundme.com/babycaroline.

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