Ten-year-old Tommy is a keen and capable sportsman. He wakeboards, skis and swims. He’s getting into surfing and is mad for his bike. And of course, he plays footy!
It was followinga trip to Mt Buller that Mum Le-Anne first noticed Tommy slowing down. While he had spent that weekend snowboarding blue runs all day, the following week Tommy began to feel lethargic and complained of a shortness of breath. When he struggled to keep up with the pack at footy training Le-Anne made an appointment for their doctor.
While initial thoughts were that Tommy could be suffering from asthma, an exploratory chest x-ray revealed shocking results. Rather than the common childhood condition they were expecting, the x-ray showed Tommy had a large mass on his chest, which was pressing on his lungs. Tommy was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma and admitted directly to the ward.
When Le-Anne was told the news at 2:00am she was devastated. “I lost my breath. I couldn't walk or see, and I couldn't stop sobbing. All I could do was say, ‘this can't be happening to us’”.
As a single mum with limited family support due to COVID, Le-Anne had no option but to leave her new job to be by Tommy’s side.
“Since the diagnosis, we have had no routine, and no plan. We don't know what we'll be doing for the next hour ahead. It's all about Tommy. I've been full-time with him since he's been sick.”
Since his diagnosis, Tommy has endured numerous hospitalisations, painful procedures and chemotherapy treatments. The worst part about the ordeal for Tommy though, has been the social isolation. Used to filling his weekends with action and adventure, instead Tommy was confined to the hospital, or sitting quietly at home.
With visiting restrictions in place, Tommy missed being able to spend time with his friends, and the sudden lack of contact with the “outside world” was especially frustrating and upsetting.
Fortunately, Tommy has had his mate Captain Starlight to keep him company at the hardest of times, and his enthusiasm for the Starlight Express Room is inexhaustible! When visiting the hospital for his regular check-ups and treatments, Tommy will do his best to be the first one in and the last one out of the Starlight Express Room! While there he loves playing video games with the Captains, making tie-dye t-shirts and building LEGO.
As a parent, Le-Anne is so grateful that Tommy has a space where he can go and be a kid, and forget about his illness for a while. It is the outlet and distraction he needs to alleviate his boredom and frustration. Le-Anne has a special message for the Starlight supporters who make spaces like the Starlight Express Rooms possible;
“The generosity and selflessness of people is amazing. Even the small things Starlight does make a huge difference to sick kids like Tommy and makes them feel special. Starlight's services give sick kids relief and a place to escape.”
