HARD and complicated times can be a lot for young children to take in.
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But for the Moon family, the challenges made their sibling bonds so much stronger.
When four-year-old Eliza was born, the family's life was turned upside down.
Parents Carmen and Stacey were told their youngest daughter had DiGeorge syndrome, more formally known as 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.
This meant Eliza was born with part of her 22 chromosome missing, resulting in the poor development of several body systems.
At the time, the family didn't know what they would be dealing with.
“When Eliza was born, the doctor's said there was one in 4000 (children) will have DiGeorge, but now it's more like one in 1000,” her mother, Carmen Moon, said.
“For us it was difficult to navigate because every child who has it is so different.”
People with DiGeorge syndrome have the potential to suffer from any of 180 health issues associated with the condition.
While the full extent of Eliza's condition still isn't clear to the family, she has had her fair share of trauma.
“Within 20 minutes of her being born, we found out Eliza had a heart murmur,” Mrs Moon said.
“She had both an atrial and ventricular septal defect, meaning she had two separate holes in her heart.
“She had to grow to be big enough and when she was 11 months old she underwent open heart surgery.”
While Eliza went through the major operation, doctors discovered she was born without a thymus gland.
This meant her body was unable to produce T-lymphocytes, which train immature T-cells to fight infections.
“Doctors told us we would have to `kickstart her immune system environmentally'. They told us to just let her be a kid, get out in the dirt and play with bugs,” Mrs Moon said.
“The downside though was she caught every cold going around, most of them leading to hospitalisation. I rode with her in an ambulance so many times over the years, but ultimately it led to her being a lot stronger than some other kids.”
Eliza also struggled with breastfeeding, having been born without a sucking mechanism.
“It was a real learning curve for us. Being my fourth child, all of which I had breast-fed, I was very determined to do the same with Eliza,” Mrs Moon said.
“It came down to me having to get a cold, wet face washer and whacking it on her backside, getting her to cry so she would open her mouth and would have to suck.
“It was pretty cruel, but it was cruel to be kind because I succeeded in breastfeeding her.
“The doctors thought I was crazy.”
Eliza was also born with a submucous cleft palate.
“This means the valve at the back of her throat doesn't open and close properly when she swallows,” Mrs Moon said.
“When she would vomit, everything would come out her nose, which definitely wasn't pleasant.
“Although one night we were sitting at the table eating spaghetti and she simply sneezed and the longest bit of spaghetti came out her nose, it was a funny moment.”
At the same time, Eliza had been diagnosed with hip dysplasia.
“She had to wear horrible braces and that was very tough on her,” Mrs Moon said.
“To get her moving she had to see a physiotherapist from day dot, which is still ongoing to this day."
Eliza has also been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, meaning she doesn't grow at the same rate other children do.
“She has to have a special growth chart at the doctor's and takes a pill every morning, which she treats as her fuel to keep going,” Mrs Moon said.
And if you thought it couldn't get any worse, there are still so many conditions Eliza has never been tested for.
“Each time we go to the doctor they're ready with a range of different tests and we don't know if we're going to cross them off the list as if she doesn't have them or give them a tick to say she has — it's just a lot of unknown at times, even still,” Mrs Moon said.
“They say when she moves towards puberty she does have a higher risk of developing schizophrenia and mental health issues, something I am a bit concerned about.
“When the time comes for her to have children, there is a 50 per cent chance she will have children with DiGeorge as well. My husband and I have had the conversation and decided we would help her with IVF so she is able to find eggs that do have the full 22 chromosome, if that's what she wants.”
And through it all she had the support from her older siblings, but also a close friendship with sister Natalie.
This bond led to the 13-year-old deciding to cut her hair for her sister's cause.
“Nat came up with the idea about two years ago. She came up to me and said she wanted to raise money for a foundation and I thought that was a great idea,” Mrs Moon said.
“Since then she's been growing her hair and I told her it was time to start thinking about where she wanted the money to go.
“Both her younger siblings have had quite serious health issues, Eliza with DiGeorge and her other sister, Felicity, was born a hydrocephalus (water on the brain).”
Natalie made the decision to support the 22q11 Foundation, as there was less awareness around the syndrome.
Her mum was overjoyed with her daughter's desire to help her sister.
“I couldn't be more proud of my girls,” Mrs Moon said.
“I feel like although it has been hard for all of us, it really has brought them all together. Each of the girls is so compassionate and just want their sisters to be safe and happy.”
All the money raised through her hair cut will go to 22q Foundation Australia and New Zealand.
“We have worked with the foundation for a long time and the money will allow them to continue to hold seminars that raise awareness and give parents the information they need if they are found in the same situation we've been in,” she said.
While COVID-19 has meant Natalie hasn't been able to set a date for the big cut, she is hoping she will be able to get the community involved in some way.
“We've asked Holly Stone from Em's Hairdressing to be a part of the day and depending if the girls will be allowed back at school, we want to hold it there, but we will let everyone know when we're able to make a decision,” Mrs Moon said.
● If you would like to make a donation to Natalie's cause, which has already raised more than $500, you can help out by going to 22q.org.au/natalie-s-page