Spread the sound of
hope this Christmas.

Each chime marks the end of a long and difficult journey and the beginning of a brighter, healthier future. Your donation will help fund innovative cancer programs, cutting-edge technology, and ground-breaking research led by experts like Professor Nick Gottardo, all aimed at providing world-class care and improving outcomes for children battling cancer. With your support, we can help ring in the end of treatment for more kids with cancer like Luca, Maddy, Luca and Tom.

Meet Luca K, age 4.

Diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma (cancer of the body’s nerve cells) just before turning two, Luca endured seemingly endless rounds of surgery, chemotherapy, stem cell rescues, radiotherapy and immunotherapy to fight off the devastating disease. 
 
His family, including his twin brother Noah, relocated from Kalgoorlie to Perth for the life-saving treatment at Perth Children’s Hospital. As days turned into weeks that stretched into months, Luca and Noah celebrated their second and third birthdays in hospital. But no celebration could match the ringing of the bell when Luca had finally completed his treatment. 
 
“He had just had his central line (a tube to deliver treatment) removed and was under the effects of general anaesthetic, but he was still determined to ring that bell,” remembers Luca’s mum Di. 
 
“And it just gave us some hope. It gives a lot of families hope. And it was just so nice to be surrounded by the nursing staff that looked after us so well and treated Luca like one of their own children. And for us all to witness that moment together.” 
 
Now in good health, Luca has regular trips back to hospital for follow-up testing and monitoring. Life looks a lot more normal and, as a four-year-old, Luca loves getting into mischief with his twin brother and little sister and having fun in the garden and kitchen. 

Meet Maddy F, age 12.

Within days of being diagnosed with leukaemia at seven, Maddy was on a Royal Flying Doctor flight from the Pilbara to PCH to begin two and a half years of chemotherapy treatment. 

Early on, Maddy developed meningitis and her parents were given the devastating news that she might only have a couple of weeks to live. Maddy had lumbar punctures twice a week for five months and MRI scans every two or three days. She underwent general anaesthetic 50 times and, at one point, was on eight antifungal medications and four types of pain medications. Complications from the treatment put Maddy in a wheelchair for a year. 

Amazingly, Maddy pulled through and bravely learnt to walk again. Just two and a half years later, she’s very healthy and physically strong, and a much-valued player on her netball team. 

“Early on we stopped thinking about the bell due to all the complications so when it finally came around after something like 800 days of chemo, it was like getting to the finish line of a very long journey,” Maddy’s mum Lauren recollects. 

“It creates a special moment of joy, knowing that kids can go back to just being kids again, and it’s so lovely to pause and say thank you to the doctors, nurses and clinic staff for investing so much in our children and being part of what was absolutely a team effort.” 

Meet Luca M, age 7.

The outlook for little Luca was grim with a tiny 8% chance of survival. 
 
But Luca’s mum knew she was a fighter and hoped for the best when her precious little girl underwent a marathon eight-hour surgery. Luca barely left the hospital for seven months and endured five rounds of chemotherapy, three stem cell transplants and six weeks of daily radiation on her brain.?She was so sick and weak that she lost the ability to walk for almost five months.? 
 
“I burst into tears when I found out about the end of treatment bell because at that point, we were told Luca probably wasn’t going to survive and we didn’t think we would ever get the chance to ring it,” Luca’s mum Brooke recalls. 
 
But Luca made a remarkable recovery and today is doing very well, although she’ll need to be monitored with regular scans for the rest of her life.  
 
“It really cut deep every time I heard the bell ring but at the same time it also gave an inkling of hope that one day it could be us. So, when we did finish treatment, it really did signify the end of an era and the start of a whole new life.” 
 
At seven, Luca is now flourishing in life – she’s going to school fulltime, taking part in sports carnivals and has a close-knit group of friends. And like many other little girls, she loves art, dressing up and singing at every opportunity.  

Meet Tom D, age 11.

Tom is back at school, playing netball and soccer and enjoying hanging out with his older brother and sister. At the time of his diagnosis four years ago, Tom didn’t appear sick, and his family thought the small amount of bruising that appeared on his legs was from the rough and tumble of being a six-year-old boy. 
 
A trip to the GP was meant to allay concerns but Tom was sent straight to hospital for multiple tests which diagnosed leukaemia. The very next day, Tom began chemotherapy and a gruelling fight that was to last three and a half years. Tom’s father remembers the diagnosis hitting them like a train and being confronted by Tom lying in bed with cannulas in his arms, machines beeping and lights flashing – a far cry from their happy home life just days before.  
 
Despite the many frightening moments during his treatment, Tom’s family watched him develop into an incredibly strong young man who rolled with the punches and always had a positive attitude and smile on his face. 
 
“It was incredibly emotional watching him ring the bell to signify his treatment had finished, surrounded by the doctors and nurses that supported him along the way,” recalls Tom’s dad Simon. 
 
His mum Hannah adds: “It was symbolic for every one of us in the family, signifying that we were transitioning from treatment to the next chapter of life.”