GIVEAWAY | ANNOUNCEMENT

It's late. My eyes are heavy and I'm tired but I want to get this out.

When Kesh and I decided to run a giveaway, we thought it through. We waited it out. We knew this was the time and we knew the only way to do it was for the gift to be given.

We thought we knew what we were doing.

Early on, maybe within hours of sending this live, I realised this was bigger than me, bigger than us.

I've seen tears roll down my wife's face, as I wiped away my own - your stories read aloud while we lay in bed. And then, when we woke, tear stained pillows and more stories. Each of them personal, filled with love and your own voices.

I didn't imagine, I didn't consider, I didn't think...

The way I viewed my life was never meant to change. It has though.

I seriously want to offer my thanks and gratitude for each email, comment and message we received. Again, this morning, Kesh and I read each one with the seemingly impossible task of making a choice.

And we have, we've made a choice.

Carolyn is a wife and mother of two girls, who lives with a rare disease called Gastroparesis, which paralyses the digestive system. There is no cure and the disease can be fatal.

Carolyn is unable to eat or drink, ever, and is kept alive through the constant use of a feeding tube.

Without her knowing, a beautiful friend tapped away at her keyboard and sent an email. That message has touched our hearts and in the New Year, I will knock on this family's door. Gratefully, I will take their photo and you will see in them what I already do.

Here are a few excerpts from the email we received:

Earlier this year, Lynnie had revolutionary surgery to place a gastric pacemaker in her stomach, which over time serves to reduce the constant nausea she experiences and improve other symptoms of the disease. She must have the pacemaker changed every 5 or so years. Each surgery costs $20K. Her health fund refused to pay given it was “experimental” surgery. 


Sadly, so far the pacemaker is not working as well as hoped and as such, the feeding tube must stay. Lynnie is still unable to eat or drink anything at all.


Lynnie’s world is her family… she has the most AMAZING husband Stu and two adorable little girls Kyra (5 years old) and Carys (3 years old). Lynnie lovingly calls them Peaches and Cream. Lynnie and Stu have been married for 8 years. Their love inspires all that know them.  Lynnie went through hell to bring their children into the world. Falling pregnant was easy for them, carrying the girls to full term was life-threatening to both Lynnie and the babies. She spent the latter part of both pregnancies in hospital unable to eat and on a drip, as her body was trying to reject the babies. Back then they didn’t know what was wrong with her. Determined as ever, she held on as long as she could with both girls, and both were born healthy. However the toll on her body afterwards was huge.


She loves to bake – not your average chocolate cake, no that’s too easy… AMAZING cakes with so much artistic detail. This past weekend, she and her little girls casually made a gorgeous Christmas Gingerbread House… just because.  Remember though, she is NEVER able to taste her cakes due to her illness. She simply does it to see the delight in others.


She used to LOVE to surf in the ocean, however with the feeding tube she is not allowed to go into the ocean at all. 


Only today she has been diagnosed with Pneumonia. Her status on Facebook totally sums Lynnie up… “Ok pneumonia... bring it!!! You don't know who you are messing with!!!!!”


See what I mean about my view on life changing?


Again, thank you to each person who submitted. 


From our hearts,
Tim and Kesh.


*Amber, who commented on the giveaway. Can you please email me?