A hard road ahead for the Hardman family as they battle a serious illness for their three-year-old son Kye has been made a little easier with help from the Family of League.
It was 12 months ago Jack and Kristen Hardman received a diagnosis for Kye of Sanfilippo Syndrome – a condition sometimes referred to as childhood dementia.
Sanfilippo syndrome is a neurodegenerative disorder, a form of brain damage that will eventually take away Kye’s ability to walk, talk, eat, move and breathe.
“Kye has intellectually peaked at around 18 months, and certain aspects have already started to decline,” Jack told nswrl.com.au.
“But we work hard with therapies each week including occupational, speech, and physiotherapy to try and maintain his skills for as long as we can.”
The family lives in Camden, in Sydney’s south-west, but Jack is constantly on the road to Wollongong, Penrith, and Westmead Children’s Hospital to get Kye to specialist care.
“We try to get him to use as much of his fine and gross motor skills as we can,” Jack said.
“I was taking him to all his sessions but still trying to bring in an income.
“My wife had to leave her job to care fulltime for Kye and our baby daughter, Grace.”
Up stepped the Family of League, who heard about the Hardman’s plight through members of their Western Sydney Committee meeting regularly at the Coolibah Hotel in Merrylands. Jack’s mother, Leonie, works at the hotel.
A die-hard South Sydney supporter, Jack played his junior and senior footy in the Parramatta District Rugby League before an ACL injury forced him to hang up his boots.
Family of League, formerly known as Men of League until November this year, touched base with the Hardman family and began working out how to help them.
“They met with us and went through what our week looks like – the psychological and financial impact on myself and my wife,” Jack said.
“They were able to offer great support.”
Family of League National Wellbeing Manager, Roxanne Moates, added: “It is through our connections to our grassroots community that those in need find their way to us, and indeed why our rebrand - highlighting the work that we do with the families that contribute so much to our great game - is essential in widening our reach within these communities.
“We make real differences, in real time, to the lives of those that have contributed to the great game that we all love – most of whom may not have known that they were even eligible for our support.”
So now the Hardmans are receiving some help as they continue to help Kye.
“He’s a very bubbly kid,” Jack said.
“He’s a bit reserved until you gain his trust, but once that happens he’s happy and willing to play with you – loves to draw, loves to kick a ball around, and loves to dance with the Wiggles.”
If you or anyone you know has contributed at any level of rugby league and is struggling physically, financially or emotionally, then get in touch at wellbeing@familyofleague.org.au or call (02) 8756 7180.
