Last week, Nicky Whelan shared the heartbreaking story of her brother Sean and his wife Liz, who desperately need money to provide special care for their severely autistic son Max, 11.
And on Monday, Nicky’s sister-in-law discussed their family’s financial and emotional struggles as they try to stay strong despite Max’s increasingly violent outburst.
‘Max is unpredictable. One minute he will be aggressive, hitting and punching anything he can reach, and the next he will be like a cuddly two-year-old,’ Liz told News.com.au.
‘It has financially ruined us’: Actress Nicky Whelan’s sister-in-law has Liz has discussed the financial and emotional struggle her family is going through to keep her family together
‘We have tried everything from specific diets and oxygen chambers to countless therapies and medication. It has financially ruined us,’ she added.
The family are hoping to raise $80,000 in donations on their GoFundMe page to employ 24/7 care staff to help look after Max, whose condition is described as ‘severe non-verbal autism’.
Liz lamented that there is not enough support or services available for children with Max’s type of autism in Australia.
The mother-of-four also said that she fears that she will have to hand him over to state care, where she will have no rights to him.
Help: Nicky’s brother Sean (third from the left, holding severely autistic son Max, 11) his wife Liz (second from left with daughter Georgia, seven) his children (Tom, 13, is second from right and Harrison, 11, pictured far right) and family dog Kimba are facing daily physical violence
In need: ‘We have tried everything from specific diets and oxygen chambers to countless therapies and medication. It has financially ruined us,’ she added
‘I won’t know where he will end up or what they will do with him. I worry that he will end up in a psychiatric ward somewhere and filled with medication,’ she explained.
It has been several days since former Neighbours actress Nicky Whelan made her impassioned plea for financial help to assist her brother and sister-in-law.
A video shared to the fundraising website shows Max appearing distraught after being told to wait for something by his mother Liz, who he proceeds to punch multiple times.
‘Maxie, stop it, don’t hit me! I can’t fix it,’ Liz is heard pleading in the video. She sounds on the verge of tears as her son screams and batters her with strong jabs.
Donate: The family are hoping to raise $80,000 in donations on their GoFundMe page to employ 24/7 care staff to help look after Max, whose condition is described as ‘severe non-verbal autism’
Dangerous situation: Liz lamented that there was not enough awareness, support or services available for his level of autism in Australia. She also said that she fears that she will have to hand him over to state care, where she will have no rights to him
Liz bravely filmed her son lashing out in the kitchen in order to highlight the devastating reality her family faces on a daily basis.
Nicky, who is listed as the campaign’s largest contributor with a $600 donation, put a link to the website on her Instagram page on Tuesday.
Her post touched upon some of the more frightening issues outlined in the family’s lengthy GoFundMe description.
Family ordeal: Liz bravely filmed her son lashing out in the kitchen in order to highlight the devastating reality her family faces on a daily basis
‘It is a extreme and complex disability which results in him engaging in frequent intense, aggressive and violent meltdowns,’ the family wrote.
‘He will hit out at anyone who is within his reach, most often his mother but also his siblings and even the family’s beautiful dog, Kimba.’
Other family members Tom, 13, Harrison, 11 and Georgia, seven, have felt threatened to the point they have installed combination locks on their doors.
‘This GoFundMe Page is set up to raise money for Liz and Sean to convert their family home into a personalised facility that will meet his specific needs.’
Please help! The LA-based actress, 36, shared a link to a GoFundMe page calling for $80,000 in donations to help fund 24/7 care for her nephew Max, who has become increasingly violent