Thank you for being a STAR in 2021!

2021 was another incredibly challenging year, but your support brought fun and laughter to sick kids across Australia every day.

Discover the magical moments your support provided in 2021.

Thank you for bringing 5-star fun to Emily in hospital

Six-year-old Emily visits hospital regularly for treatment for brain cancer. Amid all the fear, there is one thing she loves to do in hospital - play with Captain Starlight!

By bringing fun and laughter to sick kids, Captain Starlight helps them forget the pain and trauma of being sick in hospital.

Thanks to your support, the amazing Captain Starlight makes sure kids like Emily receive a five-star experience every time they are in hospital.

"We love Captain Starlight. The Starlight Express Room brings Emily so much joy when she visits the craft table or joins in the quiz. But I think the best bit is when she gets her toes painted by the Captains!" - Emily's dad

Your support helped grant Shania's life-changing wish

With so much time spent on a hospital ward, sick children often dream of escaping their illness to a world filled with excitement and adventure.

A once-in-a-lifetime Starlight Wish gives them something to look forward to and treasured memories to call on when times are tough.

For Shania, her wish was to thank her family for the love and support they gave her during intensive medical treatment for Chiari Malformation - rare condition in which brain tissue extends into the spinal cord.

This came in the form of an amazing family holiday to Hamilton Island, where the aspiring young chef was treated to a very special cooking experience at the Hamilton Island Yacht Club.

"Thanks to everyone at Starlight for helping this wish come true. Shania's wish took our family a world away from hospital as we explored the tropical island, patted koalas and relaxed by the water," said mum Lisa.

Thanks for helping teens feel connected

Having a serious illness, disability, or chronic health condition can be isolating and stressful for many teenagers like Tia, who spends a lot of time in hospital for treatment.

Our in-hospital and online Livewire program for young people aged 12–20 years gives teens a way to express themselves creatively, learn new skills and connect with other young people who 'get' what it’s like to live with disability or illness.

Tia absolutely loves art - and last September she and her peers were invited to a very special Andy Quilty portraiture workshop hosted in the Starlight Express Room at the Perth Children's Hospital.

As any great artist will tell you, you need inspiration as much as talent. Fortunately, comedian Famous Sharron was on hand with a healthy dose of laughter and inspiration for our budding artists.

You're helping kids feel better about having important health checks

When Captain Starlight visits remote community health clinics, kids who were previously terrified of having a check-up instantly feel at ease.

Last year, Captain Starlight dropped into several health clinics across the country, including one in remote Barunga, Western Australia. Here, Captain Starlight helped clinicians screen children for rheumatic heart disease. They played games with the kids and chatted to them about life in Barunga to distract them from the task at hand.

Captain Starlight loved seeing the kids' faces light up with happiness and can't wait to see them all again when they next drop into Barunga.

Watch our Barunga trip video >