Help sick kids Wish Big
Critical illness takes so much away from a child. A wish brings hope, joy, and the power to Wish Big—turning imagination into positive memories that will last a lifetime.
Help a child like Lawson to Wish Big today by making a tax-deductible online donation to Make-A-Wish Australia.
Lawson, 4, muscular dystrophy, "I wish to go to Queensland and have an awesome digging, exploring adventure!"
A big obstacle for a little star
In his four young years of life, Lawson has faced more challenges than most of us do in one lifetime.
Lawson's parents, Skye and Damien endured two years of uncertainty and frustration before their son was officially diagnosed with muscular dystrophy—a rare genetic condition that affects the muscles throughout his body.
"Months went by and Lawson wasn’t meeting any of his milestones. He wasn’t crawling, sitting, standing, or talking. It got very scary," recalls Skye.
Digging deep every single day
Every day, Lawson and his family dig deep to find their inner strength.
Skye says that the day usually starts with Lawson crying out for help because he's unable to get out of bed by himself. But then comes breakfast...
“Because Lawson can’t break down food, he has a feeding tube that pumps liquid food into his stomach. Using it isn’t very pleasant, so he often doesn’t want to eat," she says.
When a child is living with a critical illness, it often means there are lots of things they can’t do. But a wish flips the script. It’s all about what a child can do. And it helps them feel like they can do anything, because a wish is as big as their imagination.
Lawson's BIG wish
When it came to Lawson's wish, he asked to combine two of his favourite things: diggers and sea creatures. And thanks to our supporters, we were able to make Lawson's wish come true!
Together with his close-knit family (mum, dad, gran, and grandad), Lawson traveled to Queensland where he spent some time at a mini excavator park called 'DIG IT' and made some new sea creature pals at Sea World.
Skye remembers her son's excitement and says, “Lawson had the most fantastic time. Having a go in the driving seat of a digger, piling up big mounds of dirt, he just went wild! And none of us will ever forget going to Sea World. He paddled out into the water and a dolphin swam up and ate fish from his hand! Just magical.”
Give now to make a child's biggest wish come true
With all their daily challenges, you can imagine how precious it was for Lawson's family to spend some quality time together—having fun and making happy memories.
By making a gift to Make-A-Wish today, you could give even more children like Lawson the biggest of smiles, by helping make their biggest wish come true.
Please make a tax-deductible donation by 30 June.