Forresters Beach community supports family

Forresters Beach Village Manager Kylie Basford with Peter, Nyssa and Archie Van Dam
The generous and caring community at Forresters Beach Retirement Village has rallied together in support of Head Gardener Peter Van Dam and his family.
Together, residents and staff have raised thousands of dollars to help Peter and wife Nyssa buy a customised wheelchair accessible vehicle for their disabled son.
Four-year-old Archie has suffered from infantile spasms, or West Syndrome, since he was just five months old and was also recently diagnosed with a rare genetic condition that severely impacts his cognitive and physical abilities.
“He can’t walk, talk or sit up, but he’s a very happy kid and he has his own ways of relaying things to us,” says Peter.
Nyssa has been Archie’s full-time carer for several years but he will be starting preschool next year as part of the family’s efforts to make his life as normal as possible.
While at school, he’ll need a wheelchair to move around without assistance and the financial burden of transport arrangements, in addition to the cost of his medical treatment, special dietary requirements and consultations with a geneticist, has weighed heavily on the family.
When the Forresters Beach community heard about the Van Dams’ situation, they were immediately spurred to action.
The village’s social committee and craft group combined forces to throw a terrific fundraising event that was attended by 109 people and raised an incredible $3,383, all of which went straight to the family’s trust fund.
The social committee’s co-ordinator, Michele Gannon-Miller, says, “Peter is a popular lad and he’s done so much for us all, so this was our little way of saying thank you.”
“We charged $10 for a wide variety of homemade soups and damper and sold raffle tickets, and people still kept donating throughout the evening out of the goodness of their hearts.”
In addition to the fundraising initiatives organised by the village residents, the wider Central Coast community has also rallied around the well-known family.
Over the weekend, an event organised by two of Peter’s friends raised over $60,000 and featured a three-course meal and live entertainment from Kasey Chambers, Ellie Drennan and comedian Adam Spencer.
Over a dozen Forresters Beach staff attended to show their support and RetireAustralia, the village’s owner and operator, donated a further $3,000 to the cause.
Peter and Nyssa are grateful for the support and believe that every bit of help will make a difference to Archie’s life.
“We’re very pro-active about giving him the best life we can and it’s overwhelming to have the community’s support behind us,” they say.