A Truckie's Son Needs Help

Please Help us Help Anthony Anthony (in wheelchair) with some other Special Convoy Kids and the GoGo Mobile man, Community Police officers and Jan Maher at our 2008 Convoy For Kids Day.

An URGENT Call For Help for Anthony.

Anthony is now Quadriplegic due to a serious accident and he URGENTLY needs a special ‘Alternating Air Pressure Mattress’ to greatly assist in healing his serious bed wounds and to prevent further serious health issues developing. This special mattress system will regulate the air pressure under Anthony’s body, hence leaving the wounds free of pressure or abrasion, as well as preventing skin break downs on other parts of his body. Anthony is undergoing further surgery for some serious wounds, and we would like to be able to have the new mattress for him when he comes home from hospital. The family are very proud people who are seriously struggling with the expenses and cannot afford to purchase the mattress for their son, and desperately need some help for Anthony. Anthony's dad is a truck driver, and the financial pressures are now overwhelming. Anthony's mother cares for him full time at home.

Whittlesea Zebras FC. Proudly Supporting CFKInc Anthony's sister, Kylie, plays in the Women's Team of the Whittlesea Zebras FC. The club has proudly come "On Board The Convoy" to support our charity and help raise funds for Anthony's special needs. A very big WELCOME and many thanks to one and all at the club for your support. On SUNDAY June 1st, the Players will be wearing Special coloured arm bands at the game, to raise awareness of their support for Convoy For Kids Inc and Anthony's urgent needs. Volunteers will also be on hand at the grounds to distribute information about Anthony's situation and hand out Yellow Ribbon armbands. Please check out their website for match details and times. Anthony is one of our young Ambassadors, so do come along to the game, and if Anthony is well enough he will even come along to greet the many Zebra Fans. Whittlesea Zebras are an Australian football (soccer) club based in Epping, Melbourne. The Zebras play in the Victorian Premier League, which is Victoria's elite football competition and generally regarded as the third best league in Australia behind the A-League, and the equivalent state league of New South Wales. The Zebras have been represented by many Socceroos over the years, including the likes of Mark Bresciano, Danny Tiatto, Paul Wade, Mike Petersen, Mehmet Durakovic and Fausto De Amicis. Stadium The Whittlesea Zebras Home Ground and Headquarters are at: Epping Stadium, Harvest Home Road. Epping. 3076. Victoria. Australia. Epping Stadium has a capacity of 12,000. Postal Address: PO Box 387, Reservoir, Victoria, 3073. Australia. Phone: 03 9408 1253. Fax: 03 9408 1254 Email: whittleseazebras@bigpond.com Web: www.whittleseazebras.com

CFA Volunteers Helping Make a Difference for Anthony Anthony was a CFA Volunteer at the Epping Fire Brigade prior to his accident, (which was not in the course of his CFA volunteering work), and is still connected to the Epping Brigade. Keeping in touch with friends is a very important part of Anthony's life, and he looks forward to their company when friends drop in. CFA Volunteers Make a Difference. By making a contribution to your community you will make new friends, learn new skills and be part of Victoria's largest volunteer team. Volunteers come from all walks of life. They have diverse backgrounds, interests and skills. One thing common to them all is their desire to put something back into their community. You don't need experience to join the CFA, as they will provide you with all the necessary training. The training is aligned with National Competency Standards so your new skills will be recognised throughout Australia. The job isn't all fighting fires, as there are many support roles that help brigades, and will also help you to build professional skills. Please visit their website to find out much more about the CFA.

How YOU can Help Anthony

Gifts over $2-00 are Tax Deductible, and ANY support (no matter how small or large) will all go directly towards purchasing the special mattress and required accessories for Anthony’s immediate needs. Tax Receipts are supplied. We need to raise $15,000-00 for the special mattress and accessories, so Convoy For Kids Inc are asking for your support to help Anthony. Please make Cheque’s or Money Orders payable to: ‘Convoy For Kids Inc’ . NOTE: Please write ‘Anthony’ on the BACK of your donation cheque or money order. Remember to include your name, address and telephone number for a Tax Receipt to be sent to you. Please Mail your Gift to: CFK. (Anthony). PO Box 85. Park Orchards. Victoria. 3114. You can also Direct Deposit a donation or Direct Transfer online into: Bank: Bendigo Bank Account Name: Convoy For Kids Inc BSB: 633108 Account No: 103425518 Please use the word’ Anthony’ as the reference when direct depositing any donations for Anthony. Convoy For Kids Inc will also be supporting Anthony’s ongoing requirements. All enquires about helping Anthony, feel free to call Jan Maher (Convoy’s Patron) directly on: (03) 9876 2983, or 1300 266 869 (7 days) or you can visit our official website here, for a donation form or to donate online through our Secure links. Email: admin@convoyforkids.org Website: www.convoyforkids.org ABN: 12 620 264 782. Org No: A0029863M. Endorsed Tax Exempt, DGR Charity. Convoy For Kids Inc. 2008 Reg Fundraising No: 8410.

A bit about Anthony and the Specal Mattress

Anthony is a C5–C6 quadriplegic due to a serious accident. Anthony has an assistance dog called "Cougar" and at the moment spends all his time in bed due to serious pressure sores. His father is a truckie and the family are in desperate need of help for Anthony, who will be undergoing further surgery shortly, keeping him back in hospital for 3 months. This pressure sore is on his left buttock, which has forced him to remain in bed 24/7 since July 2007. He wanted to come along to Convoy Day this year which was very hard for him, but he enjoyed his time there immensely. Unfortunately even with this excessive bed rest the wound has not healed as was expected. Due to this excessive bed rest Anthony has lost a considerable amount of weight which has contributed to the slowed healing process. To alleviate any further deterioration of Anthony’s skin integrity and physical well-being, specialist help is now urgently needed, which the family cannot afford. After consultation with experts in this field, it has been recommended that Anthony needs an 'Alternating Air Pressure Mattress' to greatly assist in healing and to prevent further serious health issues developing. This special mattress system will regulate the air pressure under Anthony, hence leaving the wound free of pressure or abrasion, as well as preventing skin break downs on other parts of his already fragile body. Anthony’s case manager has written to various Government Organizations asking for their help with some funds for this special mattress for Anthony. So far all she has been promised by them is $1070.00 from Department of Human Services, which will be used to part pay the outstanding balance on the hire of a trial mattress. The cost of the special mattress required for Anthony, plus the required accessories to accommodate the special 'Alternating Air Pressure Mattress' is approximately $15,000-00. (This doesn't even cover the arrears for the current hired special mattress). A BIT ABOUT THE SPECIAL MATTRESS Here is a bit about the Alternating Pressure Mattress regarding Anthony Gray’s urgent requirements: Alternating Pressure is the term for the sequential inflation and deflation of air cells in the mattress to address constant pressure, which is the leading cause of pressure sores. An electronic controller, which is usually placed on the footboard of the bed, delivers a continuous flow of air into the mattress. This mattress is made up of a series of air cells. The inflated air cells would support Anthony's body while he is on the mattress. The deflated air cells would allow nothing to touch the rest of Anthony's body therefore providing pressure relief. The electronic controller is programmed to alternate the air cells every few minutes, so that the deflated cells will become inflated while the inflated air cells become deflated. Since it is the deflated air cells which would provide special therapy for Anthony, it is important that the system have the capability to deflate or remove the air cell away from the body as much as possible. Some systems claim to be alternating pressure mattresses, but studies show there is little, if any differentiation between the inflated and the deflated air cells on some of these, that is why we want to purchase a new mattress with all the long term requirements for Anthony's blood circulation and to reduce his bed sores and long hospitalisation times. Some systems deflate every 3rd air cell instead of every other air cell. This means that Anthony is only receiving therapy over 1/3 of his body at one time, instead of the ideal 1/2 of his body with a new mattress. It is crucial for Anthony to achieve a proper balance between the deflated and inflated air cells. While the deflated air cells provide pressure relief, it is also important to provide just enough inflated pressure to appropriately support Anthony's weight, so he doesn’t hit the bottom of the mattress (termed "bottoming-out"). Anthony's weight will start to increase gradually with the correct mattress, which also helps blood circulation. Our goal is to raise $15,000-00. This is the cost of the special mattress and accessories, which Anthony requires for his blood circulation, and to reduce bed sores therefore reducing his hospitalisation time due to the sores and other issues. If you are able to see yourself clear to help us out with any gift-donation amount (no matter how small or large) towards the new mattress and accessories purchase for Anthony Gray, it would be ever so much appreciated. * Company or Business support will also be eligible to be recognized as a Sponsor or Corporate Partner with the appropriate sponsor benefits, depending on their Gift-Donation amount of support for Anthony. Thank you in anticipation of any support you may be able to give us specifically for Anthony. For further information or enquiries, please feel free to contact Convoy For Kids Inc at any time directly on: 1300 CONVOY or (03) 9876 2983 (7 days - all hrs).

Another Truckie joins Anthony for a Photo

Ph: 1300 CONVOY (1300 266 869) 7 Days

Everyone loves Anthony. He has such a beautiful nature and a great smile. Please help us to support Anthony's needs. Back to Top