Home / Meet Charlie
Read more
Meet Charlie
Charlie's family
All Pages
Page 1 of 2

Charlie was born with a tiny windpipe and spent more than 90 nights in hospital before his first birthday.

The youngest of six children, little Charlie was born with Tracheomalacia: a rare respiratory condition in which the windpipe (trachea) is narrow and excessively floppy. A healthy or normal windpipe in an infant has an inner diameter of about five millimetres. Charlie’s airway was around two millimetres.

His condition is akin to suffocating, or drowning, all the time – and every breath is a real struggle. Charlie (or ‘Charlie Boy’ as his doting mum, Min, calls him) is on oxygen 24 hours a day, and because of the danger that even the slightest bit of food could irritate his fragile windpipe, he’s fed through a tube. Tragically, life-threatening emergencies are all too common for Charlie. Even a common cold has potentially fatal implications for this little fellow.

As his Respiratory Specialist, Associate Professor Paul Francis, explains: “Charlie is not the average child with respiratory complications – he is at the extreme end.”

"While Charlie is unique, research into respiratory viruses and their impact on airways will have a direct spin off and benefits for Charlie...as special as he is."

Thanks to another medical emergency in January (Charlie contracted the respiratory virus RSV) he spent his first birthday in hospital.

Min estimates that Charlie spent around 90 nights in hospital in his first year. Nurses at the Royal Children’s Hospital have spent a lot of time with the whole family, teaching them about Charlie’s condition and training them in CPR and suctioning.

“The hospital’s like our second home,” says Min. “The staff...they’re truly amazing, and I’m so grateful to the Foundation for the Wonder Factory: it keeps the other kids occupied during our many visits to the hospital.”

While Charlie’s respiratory complications are extreme, the majority of children will experience respiratory problems in their early years. (The average Australian infant will suffer between 4-6 respiratory infections in their first year of life, and by the age of two, a staggering 95% of all children will have had a respiratory illness.)

Every child deserves to breathe freely, and researchers at the Royal Children’s Hospital are conducting ground-breaking studies into childhood respiratory illnesses. So urgent is the need to advance this research that the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation has committed to invest more than $5,000,000 over the next five years to fund the Hospital’s Respiratory Research.

But we can only do that with your help. Your support will help to fund paediatric research into illnesses such as asthma, cystic fibrosis and potentially life-threatening respiratory viruses.

Together, we can work wonders for little Charlie and sick kids like him!

Send Charlie a Message of Support

Please take a minute to leave a message of support for Charlie and his family – and the many sick kids and families who will read this page. Messages will be reviewed by a moderator before being posted.


Prev - Next >>

8 Comments

  1. min on Tuesday 17 January, 2012

    Hi I just wanted to thank everyone for their lovely comments and wishes! Charlie turned 3yrs old 2 days ago. He still requires 24/7 oxygen and tube feeding, and just after hiw story was written he was diagnosed with a primary immunodeficiency and started on IV Intragam (plasma) immediately. WOW what a world of difference from that first year - in 2011 he only had 3 unplanned admissions. What an amazing gift of anew life for Charlie - he is walking and climbing, trying to talk and not a day passes without a whole lot of his infectious laughter. Thank you to all who support and donate to RCH and a HUGE thank you to those folk who donate their precious plasma! It is pretty big commitment to donate but know that every plasma donation gives somebody be it adult or child the ability to not only live a relatively normal life but in cases like Charlie - the ability to live. Min (Charlie's mum)

  2. Katelyn on Friday 26 August, 2011

    I work at woolworths where Charlie's mum shops regularly. I talked to her today about Charlie because it was out care for kids day so we were raising money. I just want her to know that even though I'm only a checkout person that scans her items, I also care. I wish you guys the best of luck and hope to see you come though my checkout a bit more :) xo

  3. Annie on Tuesday 19 April, 2011

    Hi Charlie, You sound like a wonderful, strong little boy who is surrounded by a fabulous, loving family. I have a little boy called Charlie too, so I think you're extra special ;) I am sure you will continue to get bigger and stronger and healthier with the support of your family and the wonderful crew at RCH. Sending lots of love and strength for your journey. The Love family x

  4. Model Consultants International on Monday 12 April, 2010

    Hi Charlie, You are in our thoughts and we hope and pray that you continue to get well. You are very lucky to have such a wonderful supportive family who love you so much, and we send them our best wishes. A big thank you to the team who look after you and we look forward to hearing of your continued improvement.

  5. Jo Miller on Thursday 25 March, 2010

    Charlie Boy! I have not yet had the chance to meet you, but I knew before you even came into this world how special you are because I know how very special all the members of your wonderful family are. I remember buying you a tiny toy orangutan not long after you were born while I was overseas - I will make sure I get it to you very soon, they've even built a special tunnel from my house right to the hospital just so I can get there extra quick! I'll have to talk to Mummy to see when is a good time. I hope you know how very lucky you are to have such a wonderful family, and hopefully you will continue to be blessed with a cure and a long, healthy, happy life, a life that I know will be full of love, kindness, smiles, and beautiful things. You and your lovely family are always in my thoughts and prayers, and not a day goes by that you all don't cross my mind. Hang in there you wonderchild you, and know that I am always thinking of you. Lots of love, Jo xoxo

  6. Poppy and Goola Sweeney on Tuesday 23 March, 2010

    Hi to our dear grandy superboy We are so proud of you and love you to bits. You have bought so much into our lives and taught us so much.Your Mums pretty swell too and we have so much to be thankful for as to your wonderful loving family and attitudes. Hang in there superboy you have our total support and dedication and of course love. Kisses bubbles and lots of hugs.

  7. Tammy Sparkes on Tuesday 23 March, 2010

    Dear sweet Charlie, My name is Tammy and I work with your Dad & have watched as you have grown and gotten stronger every month. You just keep get cuter, have a smile that could melt anyone’s heart and you are still as angelic as the day you were born. I think of you often and continue to send all of my love, strength, prayers and support to you and your amazing family who never fail to remain positive and shower you with all of their love and strength! You, your Mum and Dad and your brothers and sisters are all such a positive inspiration! Best wishes little Charlie boy, hugs and kisses. Tam xox

  8. Rebecca on Wednesday 17 March, 2010

    Hi Charlie, Im Bec, ive been going to the RBCH since i was three, i was in a bad car accident, and i wasnt meant to live, but through extensive surgery, trial and error, and even first ever performed surgeries and nerve transplants. Ive had around 300 surgery since then and only two weeks ago i went in for another, i had a complication aswell and i had to go into surgery again, that week, so my surgical numbers are rising, i wasnt meant to live, but i have, i wasnt meant to walk, but iv learnt to walk about twenty times, i can run, i can swim, i cant fly but thats ok, theres always more time. Im fourteen next week which makes it almost 11 years that ive been going back and forth, hospital to home and back, but im pretty normal and i love my life. BEST of luck Charlie, you deserve to lead a normal life and with more research, you will get there. xx

Add Comment