As the youngest of four siblings, nine-year-old Cleo is a bright, bubbly and fun little girl, who wants nothing more than to be a teenager like her big sister!!
She loves playing netball and basketball, enjoys fashion, singing and dancing...and likes zooming around on her motorbike!!
When Cleo was four and a half, she began complaining of pain in her legs. Her parents Jordie and Brendan noticed she was paler and more lethargic than normal, and she had developed some bruising they could not explain.
Within hours of taking her for a blood test, Jordie and Brendan received a phone call no parent ever wants to receive.
Cleo’s test results indicated she had Leukaemia, and they needed to get her to hospital immediately.
In a state of disbelief, Brendan and Jordie set off with Cleo for the hour-long journey to the nearest Children’s hospital. Jordie’s mum embarked on her own hour-long journey to stay with their other three children, Evie, Jack and Lola.
“We were shocked and worried and had no idea what lay ahead of us”.
Devastatingly, further testing confirmed Cleo had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia. It would be six weeks before they would return home again.
Jordie and Brendan stayed with Cleo at the hospital as she underwent a series of traumatic treatments to try to eliminate her cancer. Far away from home, they had to rely on friends and family to care for their other children.
“So many people helped keep our family running while Brendan and I focussed on Cleo” says Jordie. “We wanted to try to keep their lives as normal as we possibly could.”
Cleo’s first few days in hospital were full of invasive tests, strange doctors, and unfamiliar environments. She was sad and withdrawn, and missed her family and friends.
But then, Captain Starlight came knocking on Cleo’s door!
“The joy they brought to Cleo was a delight to see! She smiled and laughed for the first time in days” recalls Jordie. “To watch her go from lying in her bed to sitting up laughing and interacting with people put smiles on our faces and lifted everyone’s moods!”
When Cleo was stable enough, Evie, Jack and Lola were able to come to visit. For them, the Starlight Express Room would become an important distraction from the seriousness of the hospital wards.
“They would visit Cleo in hospital, and then head straight down to the Starlight Express Room!” says Brendan.
When Cleo got stronger, rather than seeing Captain Starlight on the wards, she also loved visiting the Starlight Express Room to make craft and play video games.
“Captain Starlight has such a positive impact on Cleo’s hospital experience. Even when she had a horrible day, or a terrible experience with treatment, there was always a positive fun experience with seeing the Captains. She would always end up talking about the fun she had with the Captains, rather than the treatment she had had that day” says Jordie.
Once Cleo was well enough to go home, her compromised immune system still meant she needed to keep herself isolated to avoid becoming ill.
During this time, Cleo, Evie and Lola bonded over zoom workshops run by model and influencer Bec Harding on all things fashion and makeup.
When Cleo was offered a Starlight Wish, her dream was to be a model for the day with Bec!
So, the Wishgranting team set to work organising an ultra-fabulous day befitting an up-and-coming model, influencer and stylist. With thanks to Bec and a healthy dose of Starlight sparkle, Cleo's wish day saw all her dreams come true.
Cleo spent an incredible day with Bec soaking up styling and fashion tips while shopping up a storm at Chadstone the Fashion Capital. A waiting limo whisked her away to a secret studio where she enjoyed her own special styling session, before posing up a storm in a photo shoot with Bec.
To top it all off, the family got to stay at Hotel Chadstone in an amazing room with all the trimmings!
It was a wonderfully special day the whole family will remember forever.
“Cleo’s wish was such a special time for our entire family. Whilst Cleo got to be the star for the day, the rest of us could be there to enjoy, join in and watch Cleo fulfill her dream. It was a time for me especially to reflect on how far Cleo has come from diagnosis, what she went through and just how much it did impact our family” says Jordie.
To those who support Starlight, Jordie and Brendan would like to pass on this message:
Thank you!! We’re not sure if people realise what their money actually goes to but we wish we could share with them a video of Cleo with the captains, or Cleo on her wish, and show them the joy that it brought to her. Laughter and happiness really are the greatest medicine!”
