A dozen Melbourne stars and sports personalities came together on the morning of Thursday 28 November to bring joy to young cancer patients and their families from the My Room Children’s Cancer Charity.
Tiny titans between the ages of three and 18 teamed up with their heroes for a day of fun, laughter and unforgettable thrills at Gumbuya World Theme Park.
The Stars Align for My Room saw the children and their families split into two groups, Gumbo’s Joeys and Ranger Benny’s Brigade with, female trailblazers, two of our great Aussie Diamond netballers, Olympians and AFL and AFLW stars for a morning of joy.
Together they explored Gumbuya World, making new friends along the way. From riding the water slides and exhilarating roller coasters to getting up close and personal with the resident wildlife, there was no shortage of laughter and fun, providing respite from the daily challenges of battling cancer.
The day saw Western Bulldogs players Cody Weightman, Rory Lobb and Anthony Scott, Geelong AFLW stars Georgie Rankin and Nina Morrison, Aussie Diamonds Jo Weston and Kate Moloney, Olympians Caitlin Parker (Boxing – Bronze) and Sam Williamson (swimming), The Block’s Ricky and Hadyn and more come out to play.
Laylah, a sweet five-year-old girl, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in August 2023.
Just days before her diagnosis, Laylah’s parents noticed she was unusually tired, pale, and not herself. What they initially thought was a simple iron deficiency turned into a life-altering journey. After rushing her to the doctor for blood tests, Laylah’s results showed low white blood cells and abnormalities, leading to an urgent trip to the emergency department.
Since her diagnosis, Laylah has been undergoing intense chemotherapy, blood and platelet transfusions, and taking steroids. She’s had to isolate to stay safe from germs and endure the physical and emotional toll of her treatments.
“We’re so grateful to Gumbuya World and My Room for the opportunity,” Laylah’s mum Jess said.
Every year 1000 Australian children are diagnosed with childhood cancer, making it the leading cause of death among children, with three losing their lives each week. While survival rates have risen to approximately 84 per cent, there remains a significant number of children each year for whom cure is elusive, especially in cases of specific types like hepatic tumours and brain cancers where survival rates have seen minimal improvement.
My Room is committed to funding research and clinical care to improve cure rates and decrease the toxicities of therapy and long term side effects such as heart conditions, infertility, stunted growth or even intellectual disability as a result of cancer treatment.
My Room Children’s Cancer Charity is a volunteer led charity founded by families for families funding crucial financial support for families, medical equipment, clinical care, research and trials.
