A helping hand has done wonders for one very special little girl and her family.
Wyndham Vale’s Jana Hammoudeh, three, has Leigh’s disease, a rare genetic disorder that means she’s unable to walk or talk, and can only eat through a feeding tube.
There is no treatment or cure for the hereditary condition, and sufferers usually only live for a few years.
Sadly, Jana’s family lost their first-born son, Saif, to the same disease when he was two years and seven months old.
Mum Yasmin Akel said she was shocked when Jana was also diagnosed at 10 months old.
“There’s no future. They said that she’ll die at a young age, and they said that she might not make it to kinder.
“It’s like a nightmare.”
Ms Akel said the help and support she receives through Very Special Kids, a charity that helps families of children with life-threatening illnesses, was her saving grace.
Volunteer Emily Webster has been paired with the family for a year and helps Ms Akel with the practicalities of having a sick child.
“If there was no Very Special Kids, I don’t think I would be able to do what I have done,” Ms Akel said.
“The support that we have from Emily, she helps us with everything.”
There are 21 families in Wyndham and the north-west who need a volunteer like Ms Webster.
Very Special Kids is hosting a volunteer information session from 6.30pm on February 13 at the Wyndham Park Community Centre for those interested in becoming a volunteer.
Call 9804 6222 for more information.
