Eight-year-old Chelsea has always had a beautiful relationship with her siblings. With two older brothers and a younger sister in the family, there is always someone to play with, and lots of cuddles to be had.
Always an active little girl, she loves dancing and gymnastics. In quieter times Chelsea enjoys letting her creative side run wild with a love of all things arts and crafts.
When Chelsea started to lack her usual levels of boundless energy, her Mum Melinda began to worry. Before long Chelsea was complaining of pain and had spiked a temperature, and half an hour after that, Chelsea lost the ability to stand and walk.
Melinda raced her straight to the local hospital.
“She went downhill really quickly,” recalls Melinda “I was so shocked”.
From their local hospital, Chelsea and Melinda were rushed to the nearest children’s hospital where Chelsea spent the night in ICU.
It was here that Melinda was given the devastating diagnosis, her daughter had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
“I was extremely upset. Chelsea was clearly very sick, and I feared the worst.” says Melinda.
Chelsea spent over three months in the hospital receiving painful and debilitating treatment for her cancer. For much of that time she was confined to her room because her immune system was compromised, and she was at high risk of contracting a life-threatening infection. It took twelve weeks until she could walk again.
This period was made especially difficult as it was during the most restrictive of Covid-19 lockdowns.
Chelsea’s brothers Dominic and Lucas were only able to visit once during her hospital stay and the separation was incredibly difficult for the close-knit siblings.
With the hospital nearly two hours away, Chelsea’s little sister Kalani really struggled not having her mum around.
Melinda had to take leave from her job and rely on family and friends to step in and help care for her family while she focused on Chelsea’s recovery.
Suddenly finding herself away from family and friends, isolated in her room, and enduring painful treatments, Chelsea became incredibly sad and lonely.
Until that is... Captain Starlight came to call!
“Chelsea would always hear the Captain’s coming and she’d be so excited, just waiting for them to pop their heads in the door!” says Melinda.
Each day the Captains would visit Chelsea to bring a smile to her face, playing games and singing silly songs to make her laugh. They would bring activities to help keep Chelsea occupied, and invite her to join in the interactive games on Starlight TV.
“Hospital would be such a boring place for kids without Captain Starlight there to keep their minds occupied. It was a real life-saver for Chelsea being able to play games and join in activities from her room,” says Melinda.
Possibly the most exciting day of Chelsea’s hospital journey, however, was the day she got to visit the Starlight Express Room in person! And to make it even better, she got to take her little sister with her.
Chelsea had seen the Starlight Express Room on Starlight TV, and on rare occasions when she was allowed out of her room she would look at it from the outside, longing for the day she was well enough to go in.
The big day was just as she had imagined.
“The first thing Chelsea wanted to do when she got to the Starlight Express Room was to have her face painted.“ recalls Melinda “She was very interested in the craft area and then super excited to be able to join in the daily quiz from inside the room, after taking part from bed for so long. It was very hard to get her to leave!”
Now that Chelsea visits as an outpatient she is always planning her next visits back to see the Captains.
Melinda is so thankful to everyone who supports Starlight in bringing happiness to sick kids.
“You guys do such a fantastic job supporting sick kids like Chelsea. Starlight brings joy into their lives at such a difficult time”.
