Maddi Wilson, 9, needs a special machine to help the symptoms of her lung condition.
Maddi Wilson, 9, needs a special machine to help the symptoms of her lung condition.
A Tauranga girl with a health condition that lands her in hospital for even mild viruses needs a special machine to stop permanent damage happening to her lungs every time she gets sick.
The family of 9-year-old Maddi Wilson are urgently trying to fundraise $20,000 to buy her the cough assist machine, with the hope they can slow her disease in her early years.
Maddi has a lung condition called bronchiectasis - recently upgraded from a diagnosis of chronic suppurative lung disease - in which scarring builds up in the airways and allows excess mucus to accumulate and become a breeding ground for germs.
The condition is a vicious cycle. The mucus helps small illnesses develop into big infections and the infections create more scarring, which in turn worsens the mucus.
“Maddi has spent the past umpteen years in and out of hospital with her lungs,” said mum Victoria Wilson.
Her daughter was born early, at 32 weeks, and was on breathing machines from birth. She is also being tested for a genetic condition called primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), which can cause bronchiectasis.
The family moved from Auckland to Tauranga to escape the slightly more humid conditions and to expose Maddi to more sea air.
The team at Tauranga Hospital introduced them to a “cough assist” machine. They loan the machine from the hospital for two weeks at a time and Maddi uses it twice daily for breathing physiotherapy.
The machine helps clear the mucus from her lungs, which means when she does catch a virus, it is less likely to develop into an infection.
But every time the family have to give the machine back to the hospital so other people can use it, it can be just days before she is back on antibiotics, or worse, in hospital.
The cough assist machine is owned by the hospital and loaned to patients who need it.
“A simple viral bug for Maddi always turns nasty,” Wilson said.
Maddi faces multiple other health challenges, including chronic asthma, and allergies that made it difficult in the past to administer her antibiotics.
She was having to have PICC (peripherally inserted central catheter) lines put in every two months, a tricky procedure due to her allergy to anaesthetic. It was then discovered she was also allergic to the PICC line, and she developed an infection that spread through her whole body.
“We spent three weeks with no access to IV antibiotics.”
In that time Maddi caught Covid, influenza A and the slapped cheek virus.
Now Maddi has a port for her antibiotics to be administered through.
Regular use of the cough assist machine means Maddi needs far less antibiotics and hospital stays, and it helps prevent further permanent damage to her lungs.
“We want to try and keep the best [lung] function we can,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s friend suggested fundraising $20,000 so they could buy a cough assist machine for Maddi so she could use it every day.
“I would rather work for it than just be given money, however with this recent illness that landed her in hospital and her recent diagnoses, it’s vital.
“Last winter we really felt like we lived in hospital. I need to try and prevent that as much as possible.”
Wilson’s friend has set up a Givealittle page, and they are working on other fundraising methods, including a sausage sizzle this weekend, a mufti day at Maddi’s school and a quiz night. Wilson is also hoping to sell baking to help raise the money.
Wilson wanted to thank everybody who had helped them so far on Maddi’s health journey.
“I’m incredibly grateful for everyone’s help and support.
“We couldn’t do it without the support from Maddi’s incredibly dedicated team at Tauranga Hospital.”
She also wanted to thank everyone who had helped or donated so far. At the time of publication, the Givealittle page has raised nearly $2200.
Wilson said Maddi was “a wonderful little girl” who wanted to enjoy her childhood.
“She’s 9 years old and she deserves a good life.”
Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.
