The Teviot Valley Garage Sale Trail has always been one of Jenn Lilo’s favourite days of the year.
However, this year she, and husband Steve, will miss it as they will be in Australia with their almost 2-year-old son Jonah, thanks in part to the garage sales.
Proceeds from the trail go into the Teviot Valley Kids Count fund, which is used to help families with a child facing unexpected health problems.
Jonah Lilo was born eight weeks early, in an ambulance outside the Waihola Fire Station on the way to Dunedin hospital. The weather that night was too bad for the rescue helicopter to fly so there was no choice but to drive. As they got to Waihola, Jenn said she thought the baby was coming so they pulled up. While she was delivering Jonah, there was a fire brigade call out and the ambulance had to move.
Steve, in the meantime was driving to Dunedin thinking Jenn was flying there. He passed the ambulance twice, in Lawrence and Waihola, and had wondered why it kept stopping but was focused on getting to Dunedin as fast as possible.
Jonah’s problems first became apparent when medical staff tried to put a nasal-gastric tube in. It turned out his oesophagus was not connected to his stomach but instead his trachea.
Jenn had had surgery after the birth and when she came round they were told Jonah had to immediately go to Christchurch for surgery. Six weeks in intensive care followed.
Her friend told her about the fund and that it could help them.
"I’d always done the garage sales but I actually never knew that’s what it was for. I didn’t even know people gave money to people [who had children] in hospital because I’d never been in that situation before."
Steve grew up in Millers Flat and knew garage sale trail organiser Shirl Marsden.
They got a form and didn’t know what they needed but were grateful for the support.
Jenn had planned to be working for several weeks more, Steve started a new job two days before Jonah’s dramatic arrival and they were worried about their financial situation.
"They just said, ‘yep, we can help you’. They sent us money and since then Jonah, he had six months last year in Starship [hospital in Auckland]. He stopped breathing for a long time. He’s got lots of things going on."
Jenn had to give Jonah CPR in a Queenstown carpark before being rushed from Queenstown to Dunedin to Christchurch and finally Starship Hospital.
"Shirley Marsden got in touch with me, she was supposed to be coming to visit the next day. I said we were in Starship and [the fund] helped us again. I didn’t ask they just helped."
They didn’t know they could have more help. It was very welcome as Jenn’s maternity leave was up but she couldn’t go back to work.
In December there was another trip to Starship and more help. Again it just arrived.
Jonah is something of a frequent flyer on the Otago Rescue Helicopters and there is a convenient landing spot across from their Ettrick home.
Jonah has Xia-Gibbs syndrome, which only about 300 people in the world had.
That meant he had global development delay which meant he was not moving as other children did.
The Lilos have found an Australian clinic where they will go with Jonah for intense physiotherapy three times a day for three weeks. It was expensive, with no government funding for it.
They had contacted a number of trusts including the Teviot Valley Kids Count Fund and they were happy to help, Jenn said.
"Every time we need help they’re just there."
