Wish helps change Charlie's outlook
Following three operations on her brain, Charlie chose to look ahead to brighter days. And she chose a wish that would help her on the path to becoming a school teacher.
Suddenly a path to uni appears
After three operations on her brain and 30 rounds of radiation, Charlie had to learn to walk again.
Charlie was left without full use of the left side of her body and lost some vision that she probably won’t get back.
Studying at university was furthest from her mind when this happened at age 17.
But Charlie’s mum Tania knew Charlie was not about to give up.
“Through her determination and stubbornness and willpower, she's managed to be able to walk again,” Tania said.
As well as her feet shuffling, Charlie’s mind was ticking over after her surgeries and radiation.
She desperately wanted to find new purpose in life.
Enter Make-A-Wish, who listened as Charlie revealed she had a burning desire to become a schoolteacher.
Receiving a new phone, laptop, headphones and smart watch for her wish, changed Charlie’s outlook. She had the mindset, and now the equipment, to embark on a university degree.
“I was kind of having like existential fears at the time that I wasn't going to keep living my life,” she said.
“And the wish gave me hope that there was going to be a future.
“I am going to go to university and become a teacher.
“Suddenly my life was just going to keep going and keep going.”
Charlie said the wish made her feel like her plan to study secondary teaching at university was within reach.
Watch her go! Charlie's progress
Before her brain cancer in 2025, Charlie was a very active and fit teenager.
“I was running a kilometre every morning and I was looking to get into the Australian Defence Force,” she said.
Post-surgeries, Charlie can’t run but is improving her walking and her new smart watch is helping her.
“I've been trying to work on my endurance and getting more exercise every day and being able to track that on the watch is really good,” Charlie said.
“What I'm hoping to improve the most is endurance, to be able to sustain a long day of walking.”
And while physical improvement has been the focus for Charlie, Make-A-Wish also considered her mental well-being.
“Make-A-Wish gave me a $250 voucher, and I bought some make up,” she said.
“I had lost a lot of hair and was going through some confidence issues. But I could use the voucher to make myself feel good on the outside, as well as the inside.”
Impact of wish to 'last a lifetime'
Charlie said her wish had helped put her medical challenges to the side and give her a clear purpose for the future.
“Your wish is anything you want it to be. For me the wish is going to help me with my career and life,” she said.
“What Make-A-Wish has done for me is going to last a lifetime.”
Charlie did a TAFE course this year and with her health journey still ongoing, is hoping to start university in 2027.
Her biggest fan – mum Tania – is overjoyed at her progress.
“Her determination makes us just so proud. She’s done really well on her HSC and everything,” she said, looking at Charlie.
“We’re so proud of you, my darling. You're just beautiful.”
Your wish is anything you want it to be. For me the wish is going to help me with my career and life
Charlie
