When sick kids’ days are filled with hospital visits and surgeries, a Starlight Wish is an incredible gift that allows them to leave the pain of treatment behind and gives them something to look forward to. 

Each Starlight Wish is specifically designed to suit the needs of the child and can range from items, to activities and experiences – the sky’s the limit!

Recently, we donated $250,000 from Golden Casket unclaimed prize money to Starlight Children’s Foundation to fund 38 Starlight Wishes. 

One of the children who has previously received a Starlight Wish is Hunter, an energetic, playful boy.

But when he was four years old, his parents noticed a sudden change in his behaviour. He lost all interest in playing, was exhausted all the time, in a lot of pain and was no longer his usual, happy self.

After numerous hospital visits, Hunter was diagnosed with leukemia and his family’s life was changed completely.

Hunter could no longer attend pre-school and instead had to spend months in hospital, where he was too unwell to even leave his bed. He was in unrelenting pain, felt incredibly lonely and missed seeing his friends and family every day.

To give him something to look forward to and a chance to forget about his illness, Hunter was granted a Starlight Wish. As he loved visiting the dog park and his favourite movie to watch in hospital was 101 Dalmatians, Hunter and his family became proud owners of a Dalmatian puppy and named him Rocky.

The Starlight Wish completely lifted Hunter’s spirit. It gave him something to get excited about, provided a positive distraction from his illness, increased his sense of wellbeing, and gave him a companion.

Hunter is just one of the children who have been granted a Starlight Wish. We’re thrilled to be able to help another 38 seriously sick children receive an uplifting Wish too.