Not all heroes wear capes, but siblings Connie and Ben Roxburgh from central western NSW are doing just that as their new-found superhero status helping in their continued fight against an undiagnosed bowel condition.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Connie and Ben, nine and seven, from Orange have been in and out of hospital for the last two years due to the condition, the raft of complications and the mountain of surgeries necessary as a result.
Between them they've had 18 bouts of surgery, Connie enduring 14 since her condition was discovered in 2019 and Ben four since his was uncovered last year.
Both are now forced to have colostomy bags.
The dynamic duo have struggled with the stress that brings, with the restrictive impact of the condition bringing on feelings of isolation and extending far beyond the physical.
When they put them on it feels like they can do anything.
- Shai Roxburgh
But they've found an unexpected "saving grace" in the Supertee, a medical garment that bypasses medical lines and tubes to make it easier to manage day-to-day necessities, like changing clothes.
Crucially, the shirt's designs inspire courage by allowing children to tap into superhero alter-egos by way of the 'Batman effect', a cognitive strategy which research shows helps kids build confidence in stressful situations.
"It's amazing, when they put them on it feels like they can do anything," Shai Roxburgh, the pair's mother, said.
"They've had to miss school to go to Westmead, they've been isolated and they've been through more than most adults will in their entire lives.
"The Supertees make access easy when they've got drips, or lines in during hospital stays and they're comfortable, but more than anything when they put them on they immediately smile.
"The hospital stays are definitely a lot easier knowing your kids are smiling, and happier.
"It has been a pretty awful two years (and) the future is still very unknown too, the kids will have colostomy bags for the next couple of years and then maybe we'll be able to start talking reversal.
"But something as simple as having access to the Supertees has helped, so much."
More than 5000 of the Supertees have made their way into hospitals across the country, but the not-for-profit's founder Jason Sotiris is gunning to donate another 8000 by August.
People are able to make tax-deductible donations to Supertee online.
The $45 gift packs are then passed onto a sick child on their behalf.
Matt Findlay
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
Formerly a sports specialist, I'm based at Orange and shift between wide-spread range of subjects here and, often, across the entire Central West region of NSW as well. I have almost a decade of experience in the media and marketing industries both here in Australia and internationally, along with journalism I have experience in content strategy, brand development, and digital and social media. Along the way, I've been fortunate to win a handful of media awards and be nominated for several others too.
