Eleven-year-old Kaitlyn is a celebrity in training. She has a huge heart and is highly passionate about the things she believes in. She is fabulously sassy, and knows how to own a room!
Kaitlyn loves drama and music. Her absolute favourite hobby was her dance class... until she was forced to quit because of the rare illness she’s been living with most of her life.
When Kaitlyn lost muscle tone and became "floppy" as a 14-month old baby, doctors were stumped. She spent two weeks in the hospital as doctors battled to understand what was causing her condition.
When all the standard testing options were exhausted, a muscle biopsy was taken and sent to America for testing. It took another agonising 18 months for a diagnosis to be made.
"Even when we had the diagnosis, we still had no idea what that meant which was extremely concerning," recalls mum Natalie. "Everything was completely unknown and the disease was so rare in Australia, there was no place to turn to for understanding."
Kaitlyn's condition, Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, is exceedingly rare and usually appears during adolescence, causing muscle wastage in the arms and legs.
To the complete shock of Natalie and husband Dave however, genetic testing showed Kaitlyn's older brother Declan was also unknowingly suffering from the same disease.
It was incredibly difficult for the family not knowing what was in store for their youngest children. For their older kids, trips to the hospital were a constant feature of their childhood. Having Captain Starlight there to distract and entertain Kaitlyn's siblings was a massive relief for Natalie, as the family even began to look forward to their trips to the hospital!
Since her diagnosis, Natalie and Dave have tried to enable Kaitlyn to live as normal life as possible, but the most difficult part for Kaitlyn has been her illness' lack of visibility.
"Because her disability is "hidden", other children don't understand the physical constrains she has, nor the pain she lives with on a daily basis," says Dave. "She is left out of normal activities like school camp programs and sports with her friends, and really struggles with the way she feels left out socially."
When Kaitlyn learned she would be granted a Starlight Wish, she knew it was her time to shine! Hoping for a sneak peek into her celebrity future, Kaitlyn wished for a fabulous "VIP lifestyle" experience.
"Ever since I was little, I've wanted to be famous" said Kaitlyn when she chose her wish. "I wanted to see what that was like."
And so her wish was created.
Like every good VIP, Kaitlyn's wish began with a limousine ride from the airport to her amazing hotel suite at Chadstone, The Fashion Capital.
Kaitlyn was greeted by her own personal stylist who told her about all the latest fashion and beauty trends from fashion week and helped her shop to her heart’s content, picking out some fabulous new outfits along the way. Of course a specialised hair and make-up session was included, alongside a VIP family photoshoot with Santa Clause. Kaitlyn had the most amazing time being the centre of everyone's attention, just like a real celebrity!
For Kaitlyn's parents, her Starlight wish gave her something to look forward to and talk about with her friends and family. It was an incredible opportunity for her to take centre stage after all the setbacks she’s experienced giving up much loved activities and the social isolation she's faced.
In Dave's words:
"If I could say anything to Starlight's supporters, it would be 'thank you for getting behind this cause'. The cause is amazing, and the joy it brings to kids and families is immense! There really just are no words. Thank you."
