Zoey's Story
(2021)
On-court Chris Cedar does not back down from a challenge, but it is off-court that he has faced his biggest battle yet.
On-court Chris Cedar does not back down from a challenge, but it is off-court that he has faced his biggest battle yet.
The Mackay Basketball star was faced with a different kind of fast break when his second child Zoey was born with a rare birth abnormality and had to be airlifted to Townsville University Hospital just hours after birth.
“She was born with a condition called Imperforate Rectum and Mackay Hospital didn’t have the specialists to treat it,” said Chris.
“I remember that moment she was just taken away from my arms to go into surgery. I didn’t know what was happening, the condition was something I didn’t know about, I didn’t know how it was all going to go. It was all the unknown.”
The rare congenital abnormality affects just one in 5,000 babies. Without emergency corrective surgery, Zoey would not have survived.
Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) North Australia welcomed Chris and his family during the difficult time and subsequent medical treatments, providing support, comfort and a home away from home that was close to the hospital.
The champion basketballer recently competed in the McDonald's Mackay Meteors NBL1 Charity Fundraising Game and gave the singlet off his back for auction to help raise funds for the charity that helped his family during some of their hardest times.
“It gave me extra motivation knowing what I went through with my experiences,” said Chris.
“I just know how much those little things are worth and how much of an impact they can make on families.
Proceeds from the charity game and auction will help establish a Ronald McDonald Family Room in the Mackay Base Hospital.
For Chris there could not be a worthier cause, knowing first-hand what it will mean for families with seriously ill or injured children in hospital.
“When Zoey was in hospital we also had a four-year-old son, Jacob.
“Just knowing that if we had to leave Zoey she was going to be ok, but Jacob was also getting that attention that he needed. He actually remembers all of it for all the good things.
“Having a four-year-old in the hospital room 24/7 wasn’t great. We spent a lot of time with Jacob in the playground.
“Keeping us all together; it gave us that opportunity.”
