Bronte needed Captain Starlight to take away her fear...
When you hear Bronte's story and understand why it takes 3,000 years of training on Planet Starlight before you can come to earth as Captain Starlight, you'll realise just how important you are.
Winning a smile from a child who has suffered like Bronte takes something special. Captain Starlight has to be talented at skills like dinosaur dancing, football ballet and piloting rocket-ships.
Yet there's so much more. The Captain must be brave and caring enough to be able to see past a child's sickness or injury - no matter how severe it is - to the child inside. And find a way to connect with that child, to give them hope again.
Facing the most frightening journey of her young life, Bronte needed Captain Starlight to take away her fear.
Bronte was diagnosed at 3 years old with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.
This is a fast-growing cancer of the white blood cells. It stops the body from fighting infections, which can then become so dangerous for young children.
After 18 months of treatment Bronte was told she needed an MRI scan. This would involve a general anaesthetic in a big dark machine and Bronte was just terrified. That night Bronte cried and cried. It broke her mother Michelle's heart - her little girl had already been through so much.
Michelle talked to Captain Starlight and they created a wonderful fantasy for Bronte - the MRI scanner was actually a rocket ship, with special breathing apparatus (the anaesthetic mask) that could take Bronte all the way to Planet Starlight! This intrigued Bronte and her tears stopped immediately.
When it was time for the scan, Captain Starlight gave Bronte a special Captain's cape to wear for her trip to Planet Starlight. Her trust in Captain Starlight meant she could count down to 'blast off' without any fear.
Bronte woke in the recovery room surrounded by Starlight souvenirs she had brought back from Planet Starlight and happily shared stories about what she had seen.
Thanks to Starlight, her frightening treatment became a memorable adventure.
As Bronte's mum said, "There is nothing worse than seeing your child crying and terrified. It's such a relief that Starlight is there to distract children and help them through a difficult time."
Your Starlight gift today can help make sure Captain Starlight is always there for children like Bronte.
Please make an online donation today
Because of generous people like you, Captain Starlight is already helping children at your local hospital. But with 600,000 child admissions to hospital in Australia every year - that's a child every minute - there is so much more we must do to make sure no child misses out.
Thankfully you don't need 3,000 years training to help Captain Starlight, And you don't have to dinosaur dance or pilot rocket-ships either. What seriously ill children need from you is your care and generosity.
It isn't always easy being Captain Starlight. The challenge of witnessing children suffer can be overwhelming. Seeing up-close the worry and grief of parents is heart-breaking. And the sad fact is sometimes children don't make it...
And it takes someone very special - someone like you - to make sure that Captain Starlight can be there. I trust you will help children like Bronte (who is now doing wonderfully well).
