Trent and Naomi know full well that parenting is full of unexpected twists and turns.
When their youngest child Ayla was born prematurely, the first few weeks of her life were spent in and around hospital until she was well enough to come home.
As life fell into a routine with baby Ayla and her big brother Hunter, they put hospital life behind them.
But just a year later their lives would be upended yet again.
When Ayla was 12 months old, she began showing signs of extreme pain in her wrist.
“Getting her in and out of her sleeping sack, you could just see she was wincing in pain,” says Trent. Living in Katherine in the Northern Territory, Naomi took Ayla to the local hospital to have her pain checked out.
What happened next was a shock for the family.
Thankfully a quick-thinking doctor recognised her symptoms, and realised Ayla was suffering from a bone infection. She required immediate treatment to stop her health from deteriorating.
Within an hour of arriving at Katherine Hospital, Ayla and Naomi were airlifted to Royal Darwin Hospital, over 300 kilometres away from home.
“We were totally shocked as parents,” says Trent. “We thought it would just be a quick trip to the hospital, and maybe an x-ray. To then have them flown to Darwin so quickly was so full on and unexpected.”
Once she reached Royal Darwin Hospital, little Ayla’s routine was completely thrown out of whack. She was highly distressed by her I/V treatments, and all the new faces — doctors and nurses who were suddenly part of her life.
For Naomi, on her own and away from her family, it was especially difficult to keep Ayla happy and settled in her traumatic new environment.
But everything changed for the better when Captain Starlight came to visit Ayla on the ward!
Immediately Ayla’s face lit up as Captain Starlight entered the room with an armful of toys to keep her entertained.
“Having Captain Starlight come to visit us completely changed Ayla’s perception of being in hospital,” says Naomi. “Instead of being upset and terrified, she was laughing. It totally re-framed the experience for her.”
For Naomi too, it was a huge relief to have the Captains help Ayla return to her smiley happy self. “It took such a weight off my shoulders,” she recalls.
Trent was so impressed with the way Captain Starlight changed the hospital experience for both Ayla and Naomi, he was keen to give back.
Ayla's story (NT) first images
When he learned about Starlight’s Super Swim Challenge, he knew he had found his opportunity.
Trent set out to swim 16 kilometres in the month of February, and set a fundraising goal of $5,000, asking friends and colleagues to get behind his efforts.
And get behind him they did!
Trent achieved his 16km target, but with thanks to the generosity of his community ended up smashing his fundraising goal, finishing with an amazing $17,200 in donations for Starlight!
His incredible efforts made him the 4th highest fundraiser for the Super Swim Challenge nationally!
Today, Ayla is a noisy and happy toddler, described by her parents as a “a real go-getter" who loves Cocomelon and being outdoors. She dotes on her older brother and loves to push boundaries being the younger sister!
Trent and Naomi are thankful that Ayla’s hospital experience did not have a lasting impact on her. In fact, she still plays with the toys Captain Starlight gifted her when she was admitted.
“We’d like to say a huge thank you to all those who support Starlight. Hospitals are scary especially for little ones, but Captain Starlight helped to ease Ayla’s fear and anxiety and changed her experience totally.”
