“We just can’t get the help we need at home. To be able to come to one place and have all the medical help we need and meet people who are in the same boat – it’s just fantastic”.

Tabitha and Mitchell Lane live in a country town five hours north of Sydney. As the specialist healthcare they require is not available locally, they both access health services through Royal Far West. For their mother Anne, this has been an absolute blessing – from the level of care she receives to the connections she has made during her visits.

‘We just can’t get the help we need at home. To be able to come to one place and have all the medical help we need and meet people who are in the same boat – it’s just fantastic’.

Tabitha has a history of severe speech problems. An assessment at the age of three showed her speech level was delayed by nearly two years. Diagnosed with a mixed receptive-expressive delay disorder, she was unable to access the treatment she needed in her hometown.

Mitchell has had behavioural issues from an early age that have prevented him from keeping up socially and academically. Fifteen minutes a week with a special-needs teacher at his own school wasn’t enough. At Royal Far West, Mitchell utilises all the services he needs, including paediatricians, dieticians and psychologists.

Anne is gradually starting to see positive changes and Mitchell, who looks forward to his visits. ‘I like it because they help me and they help Tabitha and lots of other kids who have all kinds of problems’, says Mitchell.