GRAHAM BATTEN, NEWCASTLE PERMANENT CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Central Coast kids in need is a really unique organisation and we believe it's the only one of its type in regional of NSW that provides funding directly to families facing increased cost of living due to the illnesses faced by their children.
RHONDA DOYLE, CENTRAL COAST KIDS IN NEED
We're a small group of volunteers that fund-raise to assist families from the coast who have very sick children who have to attend Newcastle and Sydney hospitals.
We provide medications, pig feeds, accommodation for the families to stay with their sick kids and also travel costs to ease the burden for them.
CATHY, MUM
Kira was diagnosed when she was five and to this day now she continues to have operations every six to eight weeks.
There was so many cost that we had not anticipated whatsoever but once Central Coast Kids in Need became involved with us he started helping us with not just medications but the travel costs and accommodation every time she'd have to go to the hospital, so yeah they've just they've impacted majorly on us.
KIRAH
There's so many things that are just different that I can't just be normal like other kids; there's also like dietary requirements. I can't do certain sports either I have to always not push too hard or things can get really nasty and I don't have a flare-up and go back to the hospital.
GRAHAM BATTEN
For us to support Central Coast Kids in Need it allows them to support up to a hundred families this year to make life a little bit normal not only for the young person that's facing an illness but also for the parents and the family who are equally affected.
LORRAINE CHURCHILL, CENTRAL COAST KIDS IN NEED
It means a lot to us because it relieves the financial stresses for these families and they can concentrate on their sick child.
KIRAH
I would not have been able to do anything without them at all, they've completely just carried me through these times.