‘I cried in front of everybody’: How a Magpie’s quiet act of kindness stunned a Melbourne mother

For Mel Schneider and her kids, it is difficult to do spontaneous things such as a movie night or a family holiday – things most families don’t even have to think about.

The Melbourne mother of four, whose 15-year-old son, Wil, has defied the odds to survive several rare illnesses from birth, said even the decision to go for a last-minute drive required careful planning.

“Everything is around where he [Wil] is coping or whether he’s handling it,” Schneider said.

“Taking the kids on a holiday where there are no restrictions on what they do and just letting them have fun – having them be able to experience that normalcy of life – is what I enjoy seeing the most.”

The 40-year-old shared her family’s story while on stage at Very Special Kids’ 22nd annual Footy Finals Fever lunch in Melbourne’s CBD this month.

The Victorian non-profit provides palliative care to children with life-limiting conditions, and support for their families.

The charity event was packed with more than 500 attendees, including AFL legends Chris Judd, Dyson Heppell and Brent Harvey, and veteran Collingwood defender Jeremy Howe.

Schneider recalled “one of the darkest moments” of her life: the day she underwent an emergency caesarean after a routine ultrasound showed signs of Wil’s heart going into failure.

“I remember it like it was yesterday. A whole team of doctors sat in a circle, defeated. They told us that we were out of options. It was time to palliate him, make him comfortable, and let him go,” she told the crowd.

“That was the first time I’d heard about Very Special Kids — and little did I know that they were going to become a huge part of our lives.”

Wil was born at 31 weeks and diagnosed with leukemia, chronic lung disease, epilepsy, developmental delay, and a rare genetic disorder called CBL syndrome.

By 10 months old, he weighed four kilograms – only slightly bigger than a newborn.

After spending two years in intensive care, Wil overcame his illnesses and grew into what Schneider describes as a loud, “cheeky” and determined young man who adores the Richmond Tigers.

Wil, wearing his Tigers guernsey, sat beside her as the event’s MCs, David Schwarz and David King, drew raffle prizes.