Charlee's journey to SDR

Charlee's journey to SDR Charlee has CP (cerebral palsy) and we are trying to get her an operation in America that will change her life. Our doctor said she would grow out of this.

Charlee and Jorja (4 years old) were born 9 weeks early and spent the first 6 weeks of their lives in Christchurch Womans NICU. Charlee had a few wee problems and needed to have oxygen on and off for a few days. After we left and were at home we did not realize that there were any problems with either of our girls. Jorja was first to get up and go and has never stopped! Charlee was a wee bit behin

d and we noticed that when she finally pulled herself up to stand at the age of 11.5 months old that she was always on her tiptoes. But mother’s intuition kicked in and I kept going back saying she’s not crawling, she’s bouncing across the floor. It wasn’t until we moved and went under a new Pediatrician that we were told she needed an MRI. That was November 2014 when she was just 2, and a few weeks later we were told MRI is all clear. But as parents we knew that something was still amiss.
8 months after the MRI we had an appointment with our pediatrician, (what we thought was a normal appointment) to be told ‘we are sorry to tell you that when you were given Charlee’s MRI results last year they were in fact wrong, Charlee was born with PVL (Periventricular leukomalacia). I sat there like one of those dogs on people’s car dashboards just nodding away saying ýes, yes, yes’. This has caused Charlee’s CP, (still sitting there nodding and say yes like a robot). I left put the girls in their car seats and sat and cried.. I didn’t know what had just happened. So here we are June 2016 19 months later with the best news for our Charlee, that a Doctor in America can perform an operate called SDR (selective dorsal rhizotomy) and help her live a ‘near normal’ life! For her this means being able to run, walk and play without falling over, without injuring herself. Riding her bike, climbing trees and hills, but most of all keep up with Jorja whom is never far from her side and always there right beside her when she falls to give a cuddle to make sure she is ok. This operation will not only change Charlee’s life but the entire families. For us to get to America we need to raise at least $120000, as the 2 operations she will have come to around $87000 alone. We need to be there for 5-6 weeks as after her operation she will have 3 weeks intensive physiotherapy. Our give a little page is https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/charleessdr
We also set up a facebook (Charlees journey to SDR) page so that people can watch her progress and to help us spread the word to help us make her dream of ‘getting her leg fixed’ (her words) a reality.

What a waste a day off work and school. Expecting to get a date for surgery… meet a new surgeon and find out we have be...
19/06/2026

What a waste a day off work and school. Expecting to get a date for surgery… meet a new surgeon and find out we have been fed incorrect information.
But on a plus I finally feel validated for something I’ve know about Charlee that I’ve been told for nearly 12 years is not true.
Always advocate for your loved ones! You know them better than anyone 🥰
Now back to the drawing board and decision making 😢
Time for some consistency with our new surgeon 🙏🏻🤞🏻
A very very quiet drive home, but she found the beauty in the sky when she finally looked out the window 🫶🏻

05/06/2026

For over 40 years, Koru Care Christchurch has been creating life-changing experiences for medically
disadvantaged children. Giving them the chance to simply be kids again.
From unforgettable trips to Disneyland and Universal Studios, to special local experiences here at home,
these moments aren’t just fun; they’re empowering, confidence-building, and deeply meaningful for every
child involved.
Now, we’re inviting our local business community to be part of something truly special.
Introducing Miles of Smiles, a fundraising appeal with a simple goal:
👉 Sponsor a seat. Change a life.
We’re looking for businesses to step in and sponsor a seat for $1,000, helping make these life-changing
trips possible.
Behind every seat is a child who deserves a break from hospitals, treatments, and challenges and the
chance to experience joy, adventure, and connection.
Together, we can help create more smiles, more memories, and more moments that truly matter.
If your business would like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you.

Update on her splint…With the power of social still helping Charlee navigate life , we have her splint back and it comes...
22/05/2026

Update on her splint…
With the power of social still helping Charlee navigate life , we have her splint back and it comes with a fancy patch of Carbon Fiber 🤘🏻🥰
I have a work colleague who has amazing parents. We can’t begin to thank you enough Jason! She is going out this afternoon for a walk with her friend, because she can now!! A very happy teenager 🙏🏻

Been a long couple of weeks for Charlee. No splint for nearly 2 weeks and now cast for a new one. I never realized how m...
18/05/2026

Been a long couple of weeks for Charlee.
No splint for nearly 2 weeks and now cast for a new one.
I never realized how much it helped with fatigue until living without it!
She’s exhausted, but like her mother, she just carry’s on.
So proud of how she’s dealing without 😊

I am not sure how this was 9 years ago yesterday (NZ time)🤯🤯She had come such a long way. And with another surgery on he...
12/04/2026

I am not sure how this was 9 years ago yesterday (NZ time)🤯🤯
She had come such a long way. And with another surgery on her horizon she just takes it all in her stride 🥰 proud to be her mum.
May Dr Park be looking down on all his patients and know he is greatly missed but will live on through all of these amazing kiddos he’s helped 🙏🏻🥰

Not the day we thought we were in for… but we finally have somewhat of an answer…Now just to wait and see… hospital appo...
01/04/2026

Not the day we thought we were in for… but we finally have somewhat of an answer…
Now just to wait and see… hospital appointments really do suck!

26/02/2026

We love Uncle Tics!!!
He stands up for himself and for all other people living with disabilities! Couldn’t be more proud to be a kiwi with a legend like this representing people with differences 🥰 Uncle Tics

Something new this weekend…. At nearly 14 Charlee gets to try something I’ve wanted to try all my life… Surf 🏄‍♀️ how fl...
12/02/2026

Something new this weekend…. At nearly 14 Charlee gets to try something I’ve wanted to try all my life… Surf 🏄‍♀️ how flipping lucky is she ?!?

Another Kiwi Kiddo heading over to St Louis 🥰If you know anyone that could help by donating, please share. Thank you 🙏🏻
02/02/2026

Another Kiwi Kiddo heading over to St Louis 🥰
If you know anyone that could help by donating, please share. Thank you 🙏🏻

Join us on our journey as Fletcher rockets over to America for SDR (Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy) surgery. Our goal is for this surgery to help Fletcher reach his full potential.

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Timaru

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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