When 12-year-old Maton was diagnosed with Stage 5 chronic kidney disease, the family’s world was shattered.
“The shock was overwhelming,” his mum Nancy said. “Maton fell ill so quickly. He was suddenly swollen like a balloon, and we were in the emergency department trying to come to terms with it all.”
Maton started treatment straight away, and hospital began to feel like their second home. It was heartbreaking for Nancy to see her independent, inquisitive, and funny boy so unwell.
“At that stage, Maton’s life expectancy was uncertain as his condition was unpredictable, so we just tried to cherish every moment we could together,” she said.
It was hard for Maton to be away from his old life, and he missed having fun with his friends at school.
“Maton’s illness affected him deeply and he was feeling really down,” Nancy said.
Thankfully during his toughest days in hospital, Starlight was there.
Maton loved going to the Starlight Express Room to have fun with Captain Starlight, play video games and just be a kid.
“The Captain Starlights always lifted our mood, “Nancy said. “They put stars in our child’s eyes again and shifted the focus away from all the pain and sadness and allowed Maton to just be a child.”
Nancy said having the Starlight Express Room there made a big difference to Maton’s hospital experience.
“Starlight was the light in the tunnel, a motivation for Maton to physically get out of bed. It was the highlight of the day - an escape from reality to recharge,” she said.
When he was too unwell to visit the Starlight Express Room, Maton loved watching Starlight TV to help distract him from all his medical treatment and he looked forward to the Captain Starlight’s visits to the ward.
“The Captain Starlights helped Maton feel happier and excited. Their fun and energy create a buzz across the entire hospital!”
Nancy says joy and laughter are so important to help kids deal with the stress and sadness of hospital. She said without Starlight, hospital would have been a harder and lonelier place for her and Maton.
Maton’s medical journey has been long and complex. He has had numerous operations and procedures for dialysis, central line insertions, naso-gastric feeding tubes, hundreds of blood tests, ultrasounds and x-rays and underwent a kidney transplant in 2021.
After going through so much pain and stress, Maton received an incredible gift of happiness when he was granted his Starlight Wish.
Now twelve, Maton is fascinated by machinery and aircraft and loves playing on his flight simulator at home. He dreams of being a pilot so asked for a once in a lifetime ‘Air Force Wish,’ to have his very own Top Gun experience!
Proudly wearing his new aviator sunglasses and leather flight jacket Maton and his mum had a behind the scenes VIP tour of Williamstown RAAF base in NSW.
Maton learnt all about the firefighters on site, the dog training crew and saw (and heard!) the F-35A Lightning II Aircraft take off. He visited the F35 squadron, chatted with the pilots and got to sit in one of the jets.
One of the many highlights of his wish was going up to the Air Traffic Control tower and experiencing the famous Hawk flight simulator.
Maton said, “I got to jump into one of the Hawk simulators where the real pilots train. It was really fun because it was a 1:1 replica of the actual cockpit with the actual joystick, throttle and buttons! I then went into an actual Hawk and I got to wear one of the helmets with my name on it!”
As a memento of his wish, Maton was given a signed picture of an F-35 jet which he says he treasured and ‘looks at every day.’
His mum said his wish was an unforgettable experience for them all.
“Maton’s Starlight Wish was the highlight of the last five years. Starlight provides an enormous benefit to sick kids. Thank you to everyone who supports Starlight- it’s worth every cent! Only by going through it, can you understand the importance of what they do.”
And Maton has this special thank you message:
“Special thanks to everybody at Starlight for making my wish come true, and to everybody at Williamstown RAAF base for the amazing experience you gave me, and letting me have the best experience of my life. Special thanks to the Captain Starlights who made my life a million times easier in hospital.”
