AT THE tender age of 12 months, Brydee Whiteman has already spent more time in hospital than most adults.
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Diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia six months ago, scarcely has a day passed since where she hasn’t undergone testing or treatment.
The unrelenting regime of being poked, prodded and pricked has left her tiny body covered in deep, dark bruises.
But despite the pain, she can still conjure a smile that lights up the room.
The next year is going to be unfathomably difficult for the Whiteman family.
In March, Brydee, who has a 50 per cent chance of survival, will undergo a bone marrow transplant – courtesy of two anonymous donors – that could save her life.
Following the complex operation, Brydee will spend up to three months in an isolation chamber to protect her non-existent immune system from germs that could do her harm.
From there, mother Skye Whiteman and her beloved daughter will spend up to a year in a special self-contained unit in Melbourne designed for transplant patients.
The experience will undoubtedly place an enormous emotional and financial burden on the family and see Ms Whiteman separated from her other daughter, four-year-old Allyrah, for significant periods.
It is not the sort of ordeal a single mother can navigate on her own, and thankfully Ms Whiteman has friends and family to help her through.
But so challenging are the days ahead that the Whiteman family needs more than that.
It needs the community of Bendigo to come together and support one of its own in their most difficult hour.
On February 6, there will be a fundraising event held at the Bendigo Stadium in honour of little Brydee.
The brainchild of godmother Pete Thompson, the event will feature a brunch, market and baby show competition.
Money raised from the event will go towards Brydee’s medical expenses, as well as supporting Allyrah during the year Ms Whiteman will be off work.
If there ever was a cause worth supporting, then it is this one.
Brydee and her family have been dealt the unfairest of hands.
However, given the Bendigo’s track record of generosity, the fundraiser cannot help but be a success.
- Ross Tyson, deputy editor