As Queensland Children’s Hospital (QCH) turns 10, we celebrate the ground-breaking and vital work that they do caring for Queensland children. At Xavier, we’re proud of our close ties with QCH, working together to support children and young people with complex disability and related health needs.
Meet Liam
A bit of an adventurer, Liam is an easy-going 16 year old who loves camping, bushwalking and enjoying our wonderful outdoor lifestyle. He adores hanging out with his two older siblings Mia (28) and Luke (25) and taking trips to the city to visit the museums or enjoy the latest show at QPAC. When Liam takes some downtime, he loves watching sport as well as action and sci-fi movies.
Since Liam was a baby, he has experienced ongoing health challenges, including epilepsy. He has significant physical disabilities, uses an assisted wheelchair to move around and needs full assistance with self-care and feeding. Throughout his childhood, Liam has been under the expert care of teams at QCH including neurology, orthopaedic, ophthalmology, genetics and spinal, as well as receiving ongoing support through Xavier.
In 2023, Liam underwent a hamstring release and scoliosis spinal correction surgery. Liam’s surgeries were a success and have been life changing for him and his family, enabling Liam to have experiences that he would once never have been able to.
“The team over at QCH have made an extraordinary difference to Liam’s quality of life. We are beyond grateful for everything that they do,” says Liam’s Mum, Deb.
However, it was a difficult and often stressful journey for Liam and his family.
“The ongoing advice and support we received from nursing staff at QCH and Xavier was incredible and helped guide us through a very challenging period,” Deb added.
Whilst in recovery from his surgery, Liam spent time at Xavier Place.
“Liam loves staying at Xavier Place, hanging out with other young people and support workers. Xavier Place provided respite to me and Liam’s dad who are his full-time carers, this was extremely important for our mental and physical well-being after such a challenging period.”
Close ties
It is wonderful to see how well Liam is doing, as we continue to work closely with Queensland Children’s Hospital to achieve the best outcomes for children and young people like Liam and their families.
