When Luna builds a sandcastle, it’s fit for a princess! Her creativity shines through in everything she creates - from painting and drawing, to jewellery making and crafting from clay.
“Luna has a wonderful imagination and loves being creative,” her mum Dalina said.
Not long after her fourth birthday, Luna became unwell with flu-like symptoms. She was tired, feverish, and then had headaches and vomiting. From time to time her left eye turned in.
When her symptoms weren’t improving, her mum and dad Kirk became increasingly concerned. They took Luna to see multiple GPs, as well as an optometrist and were referred to an ophthalmologist as they tried to uncover the cause of Luna’s symptoms.
Amidst all this, the family welcomed Luna's baby sister Flora.
Sadly, soon after, Luna's condition got worse. “Her eye problem returned, she had a stiff neck and was unable to turn her head, so we took her straight to emergency department,” Dalina recalls.
Initially, doctors thought it was a virus, but recommended Luna have a CT scan straight away.
The scan revealed a devastating blow. Luna had a large tumour in the right occipital lobe of her brain.
“We were numb with shock; the tumour was something like 20% the size of her brain,” her mum said.
Luna was admitted to hospital and just three days later, she suffered seizures and underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumour.
As a result of the tumour, Luna was left temporarily paralyzed on her left side and required physical therapy to walk again. The final diagnosis took a few weeks, but it was eventually revealed that Luna had a very rare brain tumour called an ETMR (Embryonal Tumour with Multilayered Rosettes).
“Every single aspect of our lives was completely turned upside down,” Dalina said.
“Our second child was only born two weeks before Luna was diagnosed, and all of a sudden our family is split in two. Luna's dad stayed at the hospital with Luna overnight, and I was at home with Flora. After that, we took turns every night at the hospital or with the newborn, and in neither case did anyone get any sleep.”
Neither Dalina nor Kirk worked for the next year and a half of Luna’s treatment.
The demands of hospital and treatment caused Luna immense physical and emotional pain and trauma.
After neurosurgery, Luna was terrified of doctors, and the side effects of the chemo meant she’d vomit up to 20 times in a waking day, and this could last for weeks.
She was on a permanent IV drip of powerful medications to manage her pain, and one cancer drug left her with painful, itchy, peeling layers of skin. Luna needed to be bathed every six hours and her mum and dad couldn't be next to her without wearing a gown and gloves.
“Living in hospital for any child for that long has lots of challenges. Friends would visit occasionally, but her condition made this difficult and isolating. Managing Luna’s treatment was so traumatic that she required anti-anxiety medications.”
Amid the pain and sadness, Starlight helped bring moments of joy back into the family’s life.
“Luna’s face lit up every time the Captain Starlights visited her on the oncology ward, even when she was feeling terrible,” Dalina said.
Her mum describes Luna as an ‘enormous fan’ of Captain Starlight and she was over the moon when they presented her with her very own hat and superhero cape.
Luna was able to keep her creative spark going in hospital by getting the Captain Starlights to join in her drawing and art competitions! When Luna was well enough, she also enjoyed going to the Starlight Express Room to do painting and crafts.
“Luna loved spending time with the Captains having fun doing all the things she used to do. Without Starlight, hospital would have been much more difficult. The Captains bring so much joy to the kids on the cancer ward, and to Luna in particular, especially by their regular visits.”
After so many long and agonising months in hospital, it was an exciting day when Luna was eventually able to come home.
“It was fantastic to have her home, but her treatment continued and it meant we were in charge of administering up to 17 medicines per day, in addition to feeding her through a nasogastric tube,” her mum said.
Physically, Luna is gradually regaining her strength and her mum said her biggest achievement has been finishing her pre-primary year while still undergoing chemotherapy. Luna is super proud to be starting school on her own.
Once Luna completes her maintenance chemotherapy, she’ll have scans every three months, and knowing Starlight will be there for every hospital visit takes away the fear and worry.
“Fun and happiness are crucial for kids stuck in hospital. Luna always looked forward to seeing the Captain Starlights and was always happier afterwards. They're a fantastic distraction from the horrors of chemotherapy and being a child in hospital.”
