Little Leo might only be three, but he loves to make people laugh as much as Captain Starlight does!
He’s at his happiest when he’s painting, playing with his cars and monster trucks, riding his bike or watching Bluey.
Leo’s world was turned upside down when a tragic accident left him with severe hot water burns to his face and upper body.
His mum Taylah said it all happened so quickly. “Suddenly, our little boy was being airlifted to the children’s hospital for urgent treatment.”
Thankfully, to his mum and dad’s immense relief, Leo was able to go home later that evening.
However, a few days later, Leo developed a temperature and worried that he might have developed an infection, Taylah and dad Sean took Leo back to emergency.
Leo had developed cellulitis in his face - a bacterial infection of the skin and the tissue. The infection was so severe he was unable to open his left eye.
Leo needed two separate procedures under general anaesthetic to allow doctors to clean the burn wounds. His head wound was worse than initially thought so his entire head had to be shaved. Leo remained in hospital for a week on IV antibiotics to fight the cellulitis.
“It was really hard on Leo emotionally to be stuck in hospital when he’s usually so active. He couldn’t understand why he wasn’t allowed outside or go back and play with his friends at childcare,” Taylah said.
Thankfully the family discovered the Starlight Express Room and Leo’s hospital experience became so much brighter.
“The experiences in the Starlight Express Room have been absolutely incredible for Leo. It gave him something to look forward to every morning he woke up in hospital. Captain Starlight has always been so warm and welcoming and happily go along with his games and stories, which has given him so much laughter during such a horrible time,” Taylah said.
Sadly, Leo needed further surgery just a week after being discharged from hospital. His shoulder was not healing so he underwent a skin graft to aid healing.
Juggling the demands of hospital and caring for their two boys took its toll on family life. Leo’s mum had to stop work to care for Leo and six-month-old baby brother Oliver started at childcare sooner than anticipated.
The painful recovery process in hospital left Leo feeling anxious and sad. He wasn’t able to get his wounds wet, wasn’t allowed in the sun and had to limit his time outside.
“The one thing Leo constantly requested was to go for a walk outside so having the Starlight Express Room was an amazing environment for him. His face lit up and it’s definitely the distraction that’s needed when things around you aren’t so positive,” Taylah said.
In the Starlight Express Room Leo loved doing the crafts, building towers with the soft blocks and making ‘special food’ for the Captains!
Taylah said, “Being able to have positive experiences in hospital allows kids to build their resilience in an environment that can be overwhelming.”
Leo is slowly recovering but still has to be careful of his burn wounds and needs extra protection if he is in the sun. He has regular appointments with the burns unit and physio to ensure his shoulder is healing the way it should. He is also required to wear special silicone tape 23 hours a day to help with scar management.
His recent big achievement has been learning to spell his name.
Leo’s mum said their hospital experience without Starlight would have been dull and much harder for Leo. Those moments of fun and happiness helped Leo overcome his fear of hospital. While he still gets nervous going back, he has seen it doesn’t need to be a scary experience.
“There are so many benefits of being able to laugh, have fun and play to a child’s happiness. Being in hospital can be such an isolating and anxiety-filled experience for kids. Giving them the ability to laugh and play gives them the distraction they need to increase their emotional wellbeing to cope with fear, stress and loneliness.”
