Fifteen-year-old Jack Johnstone is a boat enthusiast from Southland, who has had multiple surgeries and medical interventions to help alleviate breathing difficulties. He’s in pain a lot of the time and Satan’s Little Helper thought Jack and his family deserved a break!
Jack loves gaming in his free time and has a particular interest in boats. He’s the youngest of six and has been through more medical procedures at 15 years of age than most would in their lifetime. “He’s had a lot of medical issues and been in and out of hospital for most of his life,” says his mum Helen. Jack has Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which means that he stops breathing at regular intervals throughout the night. “He’s had nose operations, his tonsils out, and he’s had major reconstructive surgery where they broke and re-set his nose and jaw,” says Helen. He also uses a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine to keep his airways open and help him sleep undistrurbed. The major surgery and ongoing medical interventions have taken a physical and mental toll on Jack. On top of this all, he also has arthritis and gout, which mean he’s in pain a lot of the time. “His back, ankles and knees give him a lot of grief, so walking is painful for him,” says Helen, who wrote to Satan’s Little Helper hoping for something to take Jack’s mind off the pain and discomfort he endures. Satan’s Little Helper reckoned that Jack and his family absolutely deserved a break and a bit of fun, so he sent them on a trip to Queenstown, complete with some activities for them all to enjoy. “I’m so glad that he got picked – something like this gives him a different outlook on life!” The family boarded the TSS Earnslaw for a tour of Lake Wakatipu and Jack loved it. “We was so chuffed! He thoroughly loved the holiday and enjoyed the boat the best.” That’s what we like to hear!
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