Ready to settle in

By Sarah Schwager
A TOORADIN girl who needs a drip to survive has taken on her first year at school the same way she approaches everything else in her life – with a smile and plenty of enthusiasm.
Bryley Towns, 6, lost most of her bowel to disease just four days after she was born.
While most people’s bowels are 200 centimetres long, hers is just 23 centimetres.
She was in hospital for the first 11 months of her life and now must have fluid infused directly into her bloodstream and formula directly to her stomach to allow her bowel to absorb the nutrients.
Two weeks ago Bryley started at Tooradin Primary School much to her delight.
Mum Gail Towns said Bryley was over the moon at starting primary school despite her brother Matt, 13, just leaving the school to start high school this year.
“She absolutely loves it,” Mrs Towns said. “She’s really into it.”
Apart from the backpack she must wear that feeds the tube into her chest, Mrs Towns said she was just a normal prep student.
Her prep teacher Rachel Davis said Bryley had approached her new school experience with the same excitement as all the other preps.
“She is having an absolute ball,” she said. “She has a very outgoing personality and is an important part of the classroom.”
Ms Davis said she had not treated Bryley any different from the other kids.
“She’s one of the whole lot. She joins in just like everyone else.”
Mrs Towns said Bryley had had to put up with a lot in her life but faced every challenge with confidence.
“She’s got a lot of spunk. She’s not going to take any crap from anyone,” she said.
“She’s really a great kid. She’s so easy to look after.”
Bryley spends a lot of her time in hospital because she easily gets infections from the regular blood infusions.
She also gets dehydrated easily as the fluids can bypass her bowels.
Mrs Towns said she and husband Mark hoped her bowel would grow as she grows or they might think about a bowel transplant, which was just starting at the Royal Children’s Hospital.
Mrs Towns thanked the staff at Tooradin Primary School for their effort in making Bryley’s transition so wonderful.
“I am really grateful for their support. I am fully confident that she is being well looked after.
“Letting go was such a hard thing,” she said.