In a Melbourne charity room filled with footballers and grief, a quiet act of generosity passed a luxury holiday from a Collingwood defender to a mother who has spent fifteen years learning to live without spontaneity. Jeremy Howe, having won a ten-thousand-dollar Bali resort prize at Very Special Kids' annual fundraising lunch, left before the raffle was drawn — and gave it away before he had even held it. For Mel Schneider, whose son Wil survived leukemia, epilepsy, chronic lung disease, and two years in intensive care, and whose daughter Elle lived only thirteen days, the gift was not merel
Collingwood's Howe donates $10k Bali holiday to mother of son with rare illnesses
Mel Schneider's family has endured significant medical trauma, including the loss of her daughter Elle at 13 days old and her son Wil's survival of multiple life-threatening conditions requiring two years of intensive care.