By LACHLAN MOORHEAD
IT’S a week until five-year-old Brody starts school.
For his parents it seems like a lifetime since the Hallam boy was born 14 weeks premature with bleeding on his brain and chronic lung disease, among a host of other health complications.
Both excited and nervous for her son, Brody’s mother Kylie Mather will wear a proud smile when she drops him off next Thursday for his first day at Hallam Primary School.
Kylie said the thought of her son going off to school was “scary but rewarding” and wouldn’t have been achieved without love and support from Brody’s family and friends, including his older brother Bailey (12), and his older sister Sarah (10).
“The support came from our family and the close friends we met at Monash Hospital,” Kylie said.
“Brody’s still got a long way to go but we know that we are luckier than many other parents who find themselves in a similar situation.”
Brody’s premature birth triggered a myriad of health concerns, some which have eased but many which Kylie and her husband Guy watch out for every day following their son’s four month stint in hospital after he was born.
Kylie said she was very grateful for the help she and her family received from staff at Monash Medical Centre.
“Brody has speech problems and used to hardly say anything.
“He was in hospital for 120 days in special care and then spent the first two years of his life in and out of there,” Kylie said.
As a result of bleeding on his brain Brody has right hemiplegia, which sees him favour the left side of his body, while he also suffers from mild cerebral palsy and has a mild intellectual disability.
Kylie said her son has also been treated for what was diagnosed as migraines, which cause Brody to pass into unconsciousness for four to six hours at a time.
Brody’s grandmother Sheila Merwin will be by her grandson’s side when he is dropped off at school for the first time next week and continually marvels at how far he has come.
“When he was born we weren’t allowed to look at him and couldn’t touch him for a long time,” she said.
“It was absolutely amazing to finally hold him in my arms.
“With him we can’t take anything for granted. Each milestone is unbelievable.”
Kylie’s voice is one of steely resolve when discussing how far her son has come and the challenges her family have faced.
“When you’re in that position it’s hard, when you wake up in the morning and don’t know what it’s going to bring, if you’re going to get a call from the doctor,” Kylie said.
And while one can look at Brody’s first day of school as a challenge, Kylie and Guy see it as an opportunity for their son to take another step forward.
“I’m truly lucky,” Kylie said.
