By Rebecca Fraser
A NARRE Warren South family is facing ‘financial suicide’ as they struggle to provide for their severely disabled daughter.
Terry and Anne Schade say the financial ramifications involved in caring for a special needs child would blow most people away.
The couple have spent more than $100,000 caring for 12yearold Tara constantly borrowing against their mortgage to pay for modifications and wheelchair access in their home as well as incontinence products, medication, doctors, specialists, aids and equipment.
Tara has cerebral palsy with global epilepsy and is both intellectually and physically disabled.
She is confined to a wheelchair with no hope of independent mobility.
A professor has told the family that Tara’s future lies in the hands of stem cell research, with possibly no breakthrough in her lifetime.
The Schade family is now in desperate need of a wheelchair accessible vehicle to transport Tara that will cost $55,000 without modifications.
Mrs Schade said she has written to countless business and charitable organisations even contacting the Oprah Winfrey Show and Microsoft tycoon Bill Gates in a desperate bid to raise the funds.
“I have been sending out letters for years, trying to get corporate sponsorship to raise funds to purchase a wheelchair accessible vehicle to transport Tara,” she said.
“But they do not fund individuals, only charities. I was told there was no tax benefit in helping us.
“I have tried all the charity organisations, but they also refused to help, or do not reply to my letters,” she said.
Mrs Schade, who cares for Tara full time, said she had also been through the entire Australian Philanthropic book, but the organisations do not donate funds to individuals.
“The most hurtful situation arose, when I approached two major wellknown charities in Australia, which said my daughter has to request her need.
“I said she can not speak, so how can she do that and they said that unless she can tell them what she needs, they can not help us.
“I was quite shocked and ended up in tears,” she said.
Mr Schade works shift work for Qantas and the family also has another child 15yearold Brendan.
”How serious does it have to be in order to be heard and obtain help?” Mrs Schade said.
“We have no financial resources left to draw on to purchase a wheelchair accessible vehicle.
“We cannot commit more financial suicide and risk losing our home, trying to pay for a vehicle we cannot afford.
“Unless someone can garner some compassion for our situation, I only have the Australian Prime Minister left to write to and I won’t hold my breath with that one.”
Mrs Schade said Tara would need to stay under the immediate care of herself and her husband for her entire life and they were fighting on a daily basis to keep their daughter alive.
She added that because of the severity of Tara’s condition and her high medical needs she was not able to attend respite care and the family were unable to take a break.
Mrs Schade said she had recently suffered a nervous breakdown as a result of the stressful situation.
”Many families have ended up dumping these beautiful children on the doorstep of the Department of Human Services, because they can no longer physically, financially, nor emotionally care for their child any more.
“We love Tara too much to resort to that end and she should not be punished, because she was born disabled.” Anyone interested in donating to the Schade family can contact Anne and Terry on 8790 5627 or email t.schadebigpond .com
