Tag Archive | Brooke Kennedy

We Would Like To Thank…

Jan7

We would like to thank the following retailers, organisations, community groups and families who have supported the trivia night fundraiser for Brooke:

Gold Supporters:

ramset

RAMSET – manufacturing and supplying the building and construction industry with leading edge drilling, anchoring and fixing products.

chillmechChillmech Air conditioning and Mechanical Services

F

Flight Centre

ipac

ipac Financial Planning – Financial confidence to live the life you want.

essential photographyEssential Photograpy

Studio Diva

Studio Diva

Dolphin Pools – Camberwell and Moorabin

Silver Supporters:

Authentic Women / Tough Nuts

Cal Jones, Creative Memories, Boronia

Canningvale Manchester

Contours, Nth Ringwood

Coach and Horses Hotel, Maroondah Highway, Ringwood

Echuca Sunshine Villas

Healthways Aquatic Centres, Mont Albert and Ringwood

Ingrids Jewellery

La Porchetta, Maroondah Highway, Croydon

Melbourne Tigers basketball Club

Mountain View Hotel

Officeworks, East Kew

Ooh Laa Laa

Presto Pizzas, North Ringwood Shopping Centre

Ritchies – Community Benefits card

The Permisson Tree (Biodynamic & organic products), McAdam Square, Croydon Hills

Watershed Wines – Rod Edwards and Geoff Barrett

Yarra Valley Country Club, Templestowe Road, Bulleen

Bronze Supporters:

Action Indoor Sports, New St, Ringwood

Active Sports Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

Adina Hairdressing, McAdam Square, Croydon Hills

Albert Mijat

Sue and Gordon Allan and family

Sue, Marcus and Kristen Allan

Adventure Park Geelong

Steve Albon

Andreas A.C.E. Driving Academy

Anita Riley

Steve and Anne Blaser

Aumanns Building and Garden Supplies, Templestowe

Bakers Delight, North Ringwood Shopping Centre

Beasley’s Nursery, East Doncaster

Biermann family

Black Lime Restaurant, Maroondah Highway, Ringwood

Branch Out Nursery, Cnr Warrandyte and Oban Rds, North Ringwood

Brazilian Butterfly, Port Melbourne

Bridge Gift and Balloons

Jenny and Alasdair Brown and family

Sandra, Penny and Cindy Brown

Brumbys, North Ringwood Shopping Centre

Bulleen Art and Garden, Bulleen

Burvale Hote, Nunawading

Carrington Crafts, Warrandyte

Casalinga, Maroondah Highway, Croydon

Century City Novotel, Glen Waverley

Chandra’s Amcal Pharmacy, East Doncaster

Chase Hotel, Canterbury Road, Forest Hill

Chesterfield Farm

Commins family

Computer Age

Cuffley Nutrition

Daisy’s Hotel, Mt Dandenong Road, Ringwood

Dan Murphys, Mulgrave

De Ja Vu, Eastland Shopping Centre, Ringwood

Decjuba Designs / Kellie Brown

DM Cycles, Warrandyte

Docs Liquor, Warrandyte Rd, North Ringwood

Doncaster Hotel, Doncaster Rd, Doncaster

Ebb & Flow Hairdresser, McAdam Square, Croydon Hills

Eden Valley Massage

Eerie tours, Ballarat

Extreme Hair and Beauty, Blackburn

Fayle family

Fitnessworx

Flower Pot Florist, Milne St, North Ringwood

Folk Art, Warrandyte

Wendy Foster Hand Made Cards

Geelong Cats Football Club

Tne Yarra Store, Warrandyte

Grand Hotel, Yarra St, Warrandyte

Harp of Erin, Kew

Health Food Thyme, McAdam Square, Croydon Hills

Homing Instincts, Warrandyte

Indian Affaire, Warrandyte

Mr & Mrs Jayawardena

Ken Falconer

Kerry Barriero Swim School, Mitcham

Knox Tavern

La Porchetta, Doncaster

Lakeside Café, Maroondah Highway, Ringwood

Link Auto, Mitcham

Lions Club Warrandyte

Little Creatures Brewery, Healesville/Fitzroy

Lower Plenty Hotel

Lunar Drive In

Madame Fru Fru

Manalay Hair Wash & Dry

Manningham Hotel, Thompsons Road, Bulleen

Maroondah Lighting, Maroondah Highway, Croydon

Maroondah Sports Club , Mt Dandenong Rd, Ringwood

Maryanne Gosling

Mayerling Cellars, Burnt Bridge Shopping Centre, Croydon

Mayo International

McAdam Flix, McAdam Square, Croydon Hills

McAdam Pharmacy, McAdam Square, Croydon Hills

McMahon Family

Me and My Dog Photos

Meadowbrook Meat Supply, North Ringwood Shopping Centre

Melbourne Football Club

Michaels Fruit and Vegetables, McAdam Square, Croydon Hills

Miller family

Mitcham Hotel, Maroondah Highway, Mitcham

Shirley Monahan

National Trust

Natskin North Ringwood

Nicks Wine Merchants

North Melbourne Football Club

North Ringwood Family Pharmacy

North Ringwood Meat Supply, Warrandyte Rd, North Ringwood

Nothing But Juice

Officeworks, Doncaster

Officeworks, Nunawading

Otway Fly Tree Top Adventures

Palais Theatre, St Kilda

Perera family

Peter English Hairdressing, Milne St, North Ringwood

Petrovich family

Phil Bargo – Mobile Bars

Phillip Island penguins

Phoenix Trading

Photoland Studios

Pia Ladies Wear

Pipps Balloon and Party Central, Main St Croydon

Puffing Billy, Belgrave

Quattro Hairdressers, Eastland Shopping Centre, Ringwood

Rebel, Glen Waverley

Red Balloon

Richmond Football Club

Riva Donna, Warrandyte

Rod Laver Arena

Saliba Tennis, Parkwood Tennis Club

Sand Sculpting Australia

Sandhurst Club, Skye

Scrappy Hollow, Maroondah Highway, Croydon

Sheppard family

Shoppingtown Hotel, Williamson Road, Doncaster

Slade Soft Drinks

Snowgum clothing

Spotlight

Steve and Debbie Mati

Sticks Winery Yarra Valley

Robert Stone

Sydney Swans Football Club

Mike Symon, Member for Deakin

Mr & Mrs Jayawardena

Taco Bills

Templestowe Cellars

Tennis Guru, Warrandyte

Tennis Victoria

Tony’s Hairdressing, Milne St, North Ringwood

Tra-lee, Warrandyte Rd, North Ringwood

Val Henry

Vale Hotel, Dandenong Road, Mulgrave

Vanilla Orchid Thai Restaurant

Video Ezy, North Ringwood Shopping Centre

Wally’s World, Burnt Bridge Shopping Centre, Croydon

Warrandyte Meats

Warranwood Primary School

Warranwood Veterinary Clinic, Colman Rd, South Warrandyte

Glenys and Dick Webb

Wendy’s – Eastland Shopping Centre, Ringwood

Whitehorse Centre, Nunawading

Wicked Scents by Tammy

Woolworths Blackburn

Woolworths Eastland, Ringwood

Yarra Blue, Warrandyte Rd, North Ringwood

Yvonne Sutton

Zoos Victoria

Thank you also to those people who have donated cash – your kindness is greatly appreciated.

Brooke Kennedy Fundraiser – Trivia & Games Nite

Dec20

When: Sat 9 February 2013

Where: Warranwood Primary School Mel ref:  36 B 9

Time: 7.30 pm   BYO drinks/nibbles

Entry:  $20 per person

Tables are filling up fast, bookings are essential.  It will be a great night of fun and at the same time help raise money for Brooke Kennedy (www.brookestarsdream.com).

  • Fun trivia
  • Great games
  • Silent Auctions
  • Raffles and prizes

Run and organized by the Farrer Court Committee to raise funds for Brooke Kennedy.

For further information or to make a donation, contact Di on 0417036362 or Rosette on 0402 447 388.

How You Can Help

Aug26

If you want to donate to Brooke’s cause you can go to:

Brooke’s My Cause Page To Donate Directly

Every dollar counts.

Not only that but you can also bid on some fantastic Australian Baseball Memorabilia that has been donated by Glenn Williams with all profits going to help Brooke:

Signed Trent Oeltjen Jersey

Signed Luke Hughes Bat

Signed Luke Hughes Baseball

Signed Richard Thompson Baseball

__________________________

Trent Oeltjen’s MLB Profile

Luke Hughes MLB Profile

Richard Thompson’s MLB Profile

Some Video’s Of Brooke

Aug24

This was first video was first uploaded to YouTube back in February of 2009.  Brooke had been playing baseball since she was 8 years old and it has been only up until this year that she has been forced to withdraw from the sport that she loves.  In this video Brooke was 11 years old.

This next video was uploaded in May of 2011 when Brooke was 13 and you can see just from watching the videos that Brooke’s condition was already on the decline.

As you can see in the video Brooke was able to walk under her own strength but that has unfortunately changed and Brooke is now wheel chair bound.

Brooke not only played baseball but she also continues to swim as a form of therapy to allow her body to relax, she also continues to play tennis and has regular lessons every Tuesday.  For her tennis she had been able to stand up until this year, however now that she is in a wheel chair she still continues to play but now its wheel chair tennis.

Don’t forget you can help Brooke out by donating to her cause at Brooke’s My Cause page.

A Bit of History

Aug24

Brooke was born on December 2nd 1997.  In January 1999, her parents, Sue and Tom started to become concerned that Brooke was not developing and meeting her milestones.  Whilst both their older children had walked and talked before 12 months of age, Brooke was showing no signs of achieving this and so after many Doctors appointments in May 1998 they were told that Brooke had a form of Cerebral Palsy known as Ataxia, which affected her balance and caused her to fall over whenever she stood up, and that she also had a severe form of dyspraxia which would mean she would never be able to speak.  The medical team treating her were concerned that she did not have any brain damage that could explain her condition, however a regime of physio, speech and occupational therapy was started and Brooke was taught to communicate using a multi-level communication book, an electronic communication device, sign and keyword gesture.

Lots of hard work in learning to communicate, walk and balance, and by 4 years old Brooke was able to walk independently and communicate with her friends, joining her peers in mainstream kindergarten and then primary school.  Things were looking positive for her.

Unfortunately at age 9, Brooke and her family were to learn over a period of several months Brooke’s exact diagnosis.  After noticing that Brooke’s spine had suddenly developed a severe curvature, that her feet and hands were turning inwards, Sue and Tom were told that Brooke had an extremely rare condition known as Early Onset Generalized Primary Torsion Dystonia.  This condition is usually a genetic condition, however in Brooke’s case there was no known reason for her developing this and no there is no other child who has like symptoms.  She is a one in a million case, it is extremely rare and is degenerative.

Within a matter of months, Brooke lost the ability to walk independently, her body racked with painful contortions and constant shaking, her only relief from the condition when she fell asleep.  Primary Torsion Dystonia is degenerative, there is no known cure and it affects every facet of Brooke’s life and body.  Brooke has the severest form of the disease and there is no part of her body that is not affected by it, from her face to her feet.  Over the past four years she has endured endless trials of drugs in an attempt to try and stop the progression of the disease.  She has had her highs as some of the drugs have given her short term relief from the disease and some very bad lows as once again the Dystonia has reasserted its control over her body and life, but all through this she persevered, getting up each day, putting her walker on the back of her motorised scooter, communication device and laptop in her bag and going off to school.   Never once did she give up playing her beloved baseball even if it just meant going up to bat with her brother holding her body to support her, just being part of life kept her going.

In May, 2010 Brooke was implanted with an intrathecal baclofen pump in an attempt to reverse some of the effects of the Dystonia.  No-one knew if this treatment would work for her, however it was a chance that had to be taken to give some of her life back free from the effects of the disease, and whilst it has had a significant impact on controlling some areas of the disease as Brooke approaches puberty it is she is once again beginning to slowly go backwards.

For Brooke the shadow of Dystonia and its effect is never far away and the Baclofen pump is only a temporary measure.  Some days she can walk independently, some not, that is the nature of Dystonia, no two days are the same for sufferers.  Every day she wakes up is different, with a different set of challenges to deal with.  She needs a full time aide at school to help her access the curriculum and is dependent on others to assist her throughout the day including bathing, toileting, dressing and accessing the curriculum at secondary school.

Don’t forget you can help Brooke out by donating to her cause at Brooke’s My Cause page.