A father of four was diagnosed with stage three brain cancer, prompting his family to fundraise for his flight to Sydney for surgery. His 7-year-old daughter is auctioning hand-painted tea towels to contribute to the $100,000 needed for the trip. Life's unpredictability struck this family in March 2019 when the father was diagnosed with brain cancer.
Diego Wernicke, a tattoo artist, suffered a seizure witnessed by his two eldest daughters, Luna, five, and Mili, three, outside their Gold Coast home. The girls sought help from neighbors, leading to the 47-year-old father's hospitalization, where his cancer was discovered.
The tumor, located in a high-risk area of the brain, led doctors to decline surgery. Diego's wife, Hayley Allen, 32, is now endeavoring to transport her husband to Sydney, where renowned brain surgeon Charlie Teo represents their only hope.
In the meantime, their 7-year-old daughter is auctioning off her hand-painted tea towels for as much as $130 each to help fund the $100,000 surgery.
The Allen family comprises Hayley Allen, 32, Diego Wernicke, 47, Folk, five months, Luna, seven, Inca, two-and-a-half, and Mili, five.
Luna is auctioning hand-painted tea towels, with prices reaching up to $130 each, to raise funds for her father's surgery performed by Dr. Charlie Teo.
Without the surgery, the prognosis is such that their five-month-old son, Folk, will not have the opportunity to form memories with his father.
The mother, who was a freelance photographer, stated:
“Charlie Teo believes he can get 99 percent of the tumor out. They can never give you a definitive answer, but the operation would potentially add years and years on to his life, compared to the 12 months or so he has now.”
IIn the event of a brief prognosis, Folk, the 5-month-old son who was conceived prior to the tumor's discovery, will not have the opportunity to form memories with his father. However, for the surgery to proceed, Mr. Teo must receive an invitation from a public hospital in Queensland, an occurrence that hasn't taken place in 35 years. Additionally, there is a tea towel hand-painted by Mr. Wernicke’s daughter, Luna.
The couple have started fundraising to be able to pay for the trip to Sidney
The family sought doctors' letters and recommendations to transport him across the border, but to no avail. Consequently, they initiated a fundraiser to fly Diego to Sydney. Ms. Allen is determined to continue the struggle, wanting to assure their children that she "tried everything to keep their dad alive." The father's first seizure deeply affected their 7-year-old daughter, Luna, who has been distraught, crying, "I don't want Daddy to die." They have arranged for her to see a therapist to help her cope during this challenging time.
Mr. Wernicke is currently in the hospital receiving treatment for a stage three brain tumor.
Diego with one of his young children in hospital
Ms. Allen said Mr. Teo told the family he could operate tomorrow if the family secured the funds
An amazing young girl has been auctioning off painted tea towels on Instagram to raise funds for her father's trip to Sydney. So far, she has raised $600, with the highest bid for a single towel reaching $130.
Ms. Allen mentioned that Mr. Teo could perform the operation as early as tomorrow if the funds were available. Meanwhile, the family is doing their utmost to stretch every dollar to afford Diego's treatments, cover rent, and purchase food.
Luna continues to auction her painted tea towels on Instagram.
Ms. Allen finds that staying busy helps her manage the stress of caring for her children and her ailing husband.
“It has been hard because Diego hasn’t been able to work since he got sick, and he can’t drive so I have to take the kids to school and take him to appointments.At the beginning of this year, we had no money and dropped the amount of cannabis oil we were giving him, then he had more growth, all the while I was about to have our little boy.”
The family had to relocate to a more affordable neighborhood in Beaudesert during his initial six weeks of chemotherapy.
Ms. Allen states that she stays active to manage her way through the entire ordeal.
“When I stop, my brain starts ticking over and it becomes very overwhelming, so I’m very active and try to stay focused on what I’m doing.”
In her GoFundMe post, she expressed feeling terrible about being 'another person pleading for life-saving treatment,' yet recognized the necessity of her plea. The treatment is priced at $100,000, but additional funds are needed for travel and quarantine, leading to a fundraising target of $150,000.
The generosity and kindness of people have been overwhelming thus far, and the family remains hopeful that they will secure the remaining funds, enabling the father to undergo the surgery that could significantly improve their lives.
