The Starlight Children’s Foundation is facing a huge challenge this Christmas with $1.2 million needed to grant 185 wishes for seriously ill and hospitalised children and their families around Australia.
Each Starlight Wish requires an average funding of $6,500 and this Christmas Starlight is asking Australians to ‘Join the Mission’ by rallying friends, family, colleagues and staff to donate to the cause.
Louise Baxter, CEO, Starlight Children’s Foundation, said: “This is an important year for Starlight, as we celebrate 25 years supporting seriously ill and hospitalised children and their families across Australia.
“With no government support, we need help from the community more than ever before to raise funds to transform young lives this festive season.
“A Starlight Wish is quite literally a dream come true for a child battling a chronic or
life-threatening illness and these wishes can be a crucial turning point in helping these children to continue to fight on.”
As part of its national Christmas appeal Starlight launched its ‘Join the Mission’ campaign to encourage Australian businesses, communities and individuals to form a crew of friends, family and colleagues to raise funds as a team this Christmas.
The campaign features the stories of Addison, Maddy, Tayla and Jack – four seriously ill Starlight children whose lives have been transformed by their wish journey.
Six year old Maddy was granted her Starlight Wish to travel to Australia Zoo to meet her hero Bindi Irwin, giving her and her family a break from the relentless cycle of pain and trauma.
Maddy’s mum, Kristy, said the impact of being granted a Starlight Wish was life-changing for her daughter, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at age four.
“I can honestly say Maddy’s Starlight wish played a huge part in helping our family get through what we did. Granting Maddy’s wish to meet her idol Bindi Irwin and see the animals was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that she will never forget and one that she will be able to hold onto during the really hard days.
“I encourage people to donate what they can to Starlight this Christmas to bring some light into the lives of desperately ill children and their families,” she said.
For more information or to donate, go to www.starlightmission.org.au.