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Helping Jamie Bell

Helping Jamie Bell

Jamie Bell is a loving husband and devoted father of three beautiful daughters - Sophie (13), Zoe (11) and Abbie (7) who has sadly passed away. All donations will help provide support to the family during this difficult time. 

In 2019, his life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with Diffuse Midline Glioma in his spinal cord. He is now confined to a wheelchair and has a very tough road ahead - relying on expensive drug trials from around the world not covered by NDIS or Medicare to prolong his life expectancy.  

Jamie and his family have lost their primary source of income and help is needed to make ends meet.

Before his diagnosis, Jamie was an extremely active person, working a physical job as a Fire Sprinkler Technician to give his family a wonderful life. Jamie spent his weekends mucking around with his girls in the pool, taxiing them around to friends and teaching the oldest two to ride their bikes. 

Cycling was a passion of Jamie’s, and he would get up early on weekdays to cycle with mates before heading to work. Clocking up 200kms on the bike during the week meant his weekends were free to hang with the kids on the weekend while his wife Karen pursued finishing her PhD research. 

His diagnosis came about after he noticed his left leg was losing muscle mass. His scientist wife Karen quickly set about researching everything she could relating to the disease, possible treatments and changes Jamie might experience. This has included contacting international medical experts seeking second opinions or options for treatment. Her tireless work has meant she has found other possible treatments to trial, but they are not covered by NDIS or Medicare. They need to pay full cost of these trial treatments as they try and buy some more time together. 

In 2020 during the height of Covid and lockdowns, Jamie went in for exploratory surgery on the tumour on his spine. After this, Jamie has had to rely on a wheelchair to get around, making it difficult for him to be there for his family as he had been before. 

After the surgery, it has been a cocktail of chemotherapy and a regime of radiotherapy for Jamie, which made for some awful days. But even on the dreadful days if a mate drops by and asks how things are, Jamie puts on a brave face, gives a brief answer and changes the subject to something he knows his mate will feel more comfortable talking about.

While Jamie might be sitting downstairs chatting with his mates, who just wish they could change his story somehow, Karen will be upstairs managing a kid drama with her never-ending supply of patience or juggling working from home. 

Jamie still cherishes the lives of his girls and is determined to prolong his time with them and his loving family. 

He enjoys couching it with Sophie, the oldest, as they share their passion for watching horror movies. He enthusiastically coaches Zoe’s netball team – he and she are the sporty ones in the family. Abbie, the youngest, was the one he was never able to teach to ride because he was unable to run beside her as she wobbled along without her training wheels. But now they share the freedom and speed off as she sits in his lap, and he whizzes her along the footpaths of suburban Perth. 

Jamie and Karen would really appreciate any support you can give to help cover their ongoing medical costs. The hope is that Jamie can see his three fun, friendly, cheeky girls grow a little closer to being courageous, loving and clever women - just like their mother.    

Thanks to our supporters

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