A Perth father and his wife have launched a $25,000 fundraising appeal to travel to Florida and support 15-year-old Eddie Park, who is undergoing treatment for an aggressive brain tumour thousands of kilometres from home.
Eddie, from Butler, was diagnosed with stage four medulloblastoma in August and underwent emergency surgery at Perth Children’s Hospital days later. Surgeons were unable to remove a small section of the tumour because of its location.
Doctors determined that proton therapy offered Eddie his best treatment option. The specialist treatment is being provided at the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville, where he is now undertaking an eight-week course of radiotherapy.
The Australian Government’s Medical Treatment Overseas Program has approved funding for Eddie’s treatment, travel, accommodation, visas, passports and insurance, as well as the costs of one accompanying carer — his mother.
However, the assistance does not cover Eddie’s father, Tyrone Park, or his stepmother, Sandra. The couple remained in Australia when Eddie travelled to the United States, but the family says further health scares since his arrival have made their presence increasingly urgent.
The fundraising appeal, organised by Eddie’s cousin Michelle Churcher, says he has needed hospital treatment in the US and that his family now believes Tyrone and Sandra need to be with him during the demanding course of therapy.
“Eddie is a friendly soul… he thinks about others more than himself,” Mr Park said.
“It breaks my heart that we aren’t there with him. We love him so much and can’t bear the thought of him suffering there without our support.
“We need to be there by his side.”
The family says the money raised will pay for emergency passports, flights, travel insurance, transfers and living costs in the United States, while also helping to cover expenses that continue to build up in Australia during their absence.
The Australian Health Department says the overseas treatment programme can fund approved medical treatment that is unavailable in Australia, including travel and accommodation expenses for one carer. The programme does not generally extend that support to additional family members.
The GoFundMe page was showing more than $9,000 raised towards the $25,000 target, with dozens of people having donated.
