“I was the bravest miner in town!”
There’s not much that would bring 40 hardened miners to tears, but the sight of eight-year-old Liam Latz operating a drill was enough.
After a year battling anaplastic large cell lymphoma, Liam wanted to try his hand at mining – so Make-A-Wish arranged for him to go to the remote Argyle diamond mine in WA with his family.
Diagnosed at seven, Liam’s now 10 and cancer-free.
He got to go down the mine, ride in the huge trucks and push the button on a giant drill. Liam’s dad Gavin says it was a magical day.
“We were so lucky,” says Gavin. “There was raw emotion down the mine. The miners made us feel special.”
Liam, now 10, collects rocks and became interested in diamonds from playing video game Minecraft while sick.
With mum Marnie and dad Gavin by his side.
Getting his wish granted meant so much to his family.
“It was symbolic,” says Gavin. “It gave us the strength to keep going to the end. It marked the end of his cancer journey.”
Liam was only seven when he was diagnosed. “It’s something you think only happens to other people,” says Gavin. “It was like being hit by a train.”
He’s now been cancer-free for three years. “We’re a strong family unit,” says Gavin. “We got through the other end.”
Kael kicked butt with the Teenage Mutant NInja Turtles!
“I got to meet my superheroes!”
When Kael Brandenburg was asked what he wanted most, the four-year-old with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia knew immediately – he wanted to meet his superheroes!
Making friends with Batman.
“He needed to meet Captain Chemo to fight the ‘nasties’, as he calls them,” says mum Larissa, 27. So Make-A-Wish arranged for the Townsville family to travel to the Gold Coast, where Kael could meet his favourite heroes, including the Ninja Turtles and Batman.
As Kael counted down the sleeps, Larissa noticed his new-found energy. But nothing prepared him for the thrill of seeing Batman pull up in his Batmobile!
Kael’s sister Brooklyn also fought leukaemia.
“He’s been through so much already and we’ve got such a long way to go – it just meant so much,” says Larissa.
Diagnosed in May 2014, Kael, now five, faces three years of chemo. In a one-in-a-billion chance, sister Brooklyn, 11, fought her own battle with the same cancer. With her support and his superhero strength, Kael’s determined to beat the “nasties”.
Chloe finally got her dream to go to the States.
“I got my dream family holiday to the USA!”
As a 16-year-old, Chloe Tsirizis loved Justin Bieber. But when the Adelaide teen made her wish, she asked to take her family on holiday to California as thanks for their support during her three-year battle with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
“I wanted to meet Justin Bieber but I didn’t think my brother would enjoy that!” she says. “My illness affected all of us, not just me. We needed something to bring the family back together.”
Chloe and her family took over Disneyland!
Over 10 exciting days, her dad Bill, mum Nicole and brother Nicholas lived it up at Disneyland, Universal Studios, San Diego Zoo and Hollywood.
Having finished her treatment, Chloe could enjoy the trip without medical appointments interrupting the fun.
“It was so good to spend time as a family without having to go to hospital,” she says. “It was something we would never have been able to do ourselves.
With brother Nicholas.
“Everyone’s connected really well since I was sick. It made us realise how important it is to be together.”
Chloe, now 19, has begun a health science course, and wants to be a paediatric oncologist.
“It would’ve been good to have someone when I was going through treatment who knew how it affects you and how you feel. I’ll be able to relate more.”
To help Make-A-Wish grant the wishes of very sick kids and teenagers, please call 1800 032 260 or visit makeawish.org.au
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