FAMILY life for the Stein family was turned upside down late last year when Kylie and Quentin Stein’s baby son Jonah was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of just three months.
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The couple and Jonah’s four big sisters were looking forward to life in the country after relocating from western Sydney to Orange, where Quentin is based at Romani Barracks as part of the 1/19th Battalion Royal New South Wales Regiment.
Twelve months on, the baby boy has defied the odds and celebrated his first birthday after nine months of chemotherapy.
“He really has been sick but he is a tough little bugger,” said his father Warrant Officer Stein.
Every weekend Warrant Officer Stein puts Jonah’s sisters aged eight, six, four and two into the car and drives to Westmead so the family can spend the weekend together..
“We just couldn’t have done it without the support of Kylie’s parents and my workmates,” said Warrant Officer Stein.
Warrant Officer Stein and three of his work colleagues Warrant Officer Class 1 Shane McPhee, Warrant Officer Class 2 Mark Fisher, and Captain Matthew Dirago now want to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House which has been a huge support to the family and will leave Orange on November 14 to walk to Sydney, fundraising along the way.
Half the proceeds will go to the building of Ronald McDonald House at the new hospital site on Forest Road and the other half to the existing facility at Westmead Hospital.
“There are a lot of sick kids in western NSW who will benefit from being able to stay at such a place in Orange,” Warrant Officer Stein said.
The four army personnel have called their arduous walk the Bushman’s Rifles Charity Walk 4 Sick Kids and the four have been in training around Orange including walks up Mount Canobolas and the Pinnacle in preparation for their huge task.
If you would like to donate call the barracks on 6362-7311.
