17-year-old Wyatt’s favourite place is the great outdoors! He loves fishing, camping and going on four-wheel driving adventures with his Nan, Susan and Pa, Peter.
Born with Spina Bifida, Wyatt’s life has been filled with ongoing surgeries and treatments in hospital.
Wyatt underwent his first operation to remove a lesion on his back when he was just one day old. He was also diagnosed with Chiari Malformation where brain tissue extends into the spinal canal and needed surgery to have a VP Shunt inserted to relieve pressure on his brain. He also has some intellectual delays.
To help straighten his legs and aid his stability, Wyatt had eight plates in his knees for 12 months. He has regular Botox injections in his bladder and had an abdominal Chait button inserted when he was 16.
His Nan Susan said despite all the ongoing medical treatment her grandson endures, he’s happy and caring and his face lights up watching the Supercars.
“Our lives changed from the moment Wyatt was diagnosed and it’s evolving all the time. But Wyatt is in a good place at the moment; trying his best at school and has a couple of really good friends.”
Over the years Wyatt has been in and out of hospital, he always likes seeing Captain Starlight when they visit the wards. He loved saying hi and seeing their latest balloon animal and sword creations!
“I think the experience of hospital without Captain Starlight would have been a bit harder. Those interactions help take your thoughts to a different place for a while,” Susan said.
For Wyatt, the hardest part of his condition is physically learning what he can and can't do and the boundaries he sometimes faces.
“Emotionally it’s tough for him to understand the reason why he can't do the same things as others kids his age,” his Nan says.
Susan and Peter are so proud of Wyatt’s resilience and said that fun and laughter help bring out that strength to push through every challenge.
When Wyatt found out he had been granted his Starlight Wish, the three of them chatted through ideas and decided on an outdoor adventure to Northern Territory.
“Given Wyatt’s love of camping and the outdoors, going to Kakadu and Uluru and seeing crocodiles would be his dream come true!” Susan said.
Wyatt and his grandparents are so excited about heading off on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Thanks to the support of Virgin Australia, Starlight's official Airline Wishgranting Partner, Wyatt is able to fulfil his dream of visiting the incredible sights of the NT and go fishing, see crocs and waterfalls and create an unforgettable adventure he’ll remember forever.
“Wyatt’s Starlight Wish will bring us all so much joy. It’s something that he would never otherwise get to do and it’s so special for us to share this experience with him,” Susan said.
