Wheels for Kobi

Grant Doyle is the  father of Kobi.  Kobi was born on 2nd October 2009, at Fairfield hospital.  Kobi was born experiencing severe breathing  difficulties and was rushed to the special care nursery. Kobi remained stable for the following two weeks.  The specialists believed it was a feeding issue that was causing Kobi’s breathing difficulties and he was transferred to Westmead Children’s Hospital.  Many procedures were tried to help Kobi breathe on his own, but devastatingly Kobi’s condition worsened and he suffered numerous cardiac arrests and was put on a ventilator to support his breathing.

After three months in ICU doctors offered two surgeries to attempt to fix his breathing. The first was a jaw distraction, involving the breaking of his jaw.  For the next six weeks Kobi had screws in his jaw, and his jaw was extended by 7mm. He was only five months of age.  When it was time to remove the screws, it was time to try him without the ventilator.  Kobi breathed on his own for a short time.  Devastatingly, Kobi stopped breathing and returned to the ICU.

After spending so much time in hospital and being tube fed, Kobi had a peg put in to be permanently tube fed and had a fundoplication to prevent vomiting.  By this stage, Kobi had been in the hospital for nine months.  The doctors said there was only one more option to help Kobi breathe and that was a tracheostomy. 

On the 27th May, 2010 Kobi received his tracheostomy. The doctors turned off the ventilator and there was much relief.  The tracheostomy was a success.  Kobi was breathing on his own. 

The next three months were spent at the hospital with Kobi’s Dad learning how to deal with his sons complex medical needs.  Kobi went home four days after his first birthday. Kobi’s Dad gave up work to care for his complex and extremely high medical needs.  

Kobi and his Dad now reside on the NSW, Central Coast. Kobi is now nine years of age, and is one of the most happy children you could meet.  His medical needs are still complex and significant. He requires regular medical and therapy appointments and time at the hospital.  Kobi requires daily tube feeds, trachy changes and several types of medication. Kobi is unable to walk or talk and has very little gross motor or fine motor skills.

The aim of this GoFundMe is to raise money for a wheel chair accessible car.  The car that is currently Used to transport Kobi is not wheel chair accessible and Kobi has outgrown this car. 

Kobi and his Dad are incredibly grateful for any support that you can offer. 

Thank you