Jack roars back into life after lion wish
After complications from his stem cell transplant, Jack could not talk or eat for days. During those days Jack held onto his Wish Coin to give him hope that he would get better and go on his wish to sleep next to tigers and lions at Jamala Lodge.
Sister steps up to save Jack
When doctors attacked Jack’s acute lymphoblastic leukaemia with chemotherapy, his family was optimistic of a positive result.
However, when test results showed leukaemia cells remained, doctors mapped out a plan for a stem cell transplant.
Jack’s older sister Haley (pictured) was a match, so in May 2025, Haley’s healthy cells were transferred to her brother.
“Haley was like ‘Yes, no problem’. It was fine for her to go ahead,” the siblings’ mum Kylie said.
“She still doesn’t even realise the impact she’s made on Jack’s life, but she pretty much saved him.”
Wish coin gives badly-needed hope
Unfortunately, 10 days post-transplant, Jack’s body responded badly.
He was transferred to ICU and his parents feared he may not pull through.
“Jack did not talk or eat for days,” Kylie said.
Kylie said Jack was a “superhero” for coming out the other side.
Helping her son through those tough days was the Wish Coin, which he held in his hand.
The Wish Coin is a permanent keepsake for a child that signifies they will receive a wish.
Jack said the coin gave him hope when he was struggling.
“It was hard for me to believe that I would get to a point where I was good enough to go on my wish, but the coin was just a bit of hope,” Jack said.
“It was a symbol of hope that I will get better and I will get to go on the wish.”
Kylie described Jack’s wish to go to Jamala Lodge and sleep next to tigers and lions as pivotal in his recovery.
“The wish was the main thing that pushed Jack through. Really there's nothing to look forward to there in hospital. You feel terrible, you feel really bad every day,” Kylie said.
“When he felt like he had lost everything he had his wish to focus on.”
When he felt like he had lost everything he had his wish to focus on
Kylie, wish mum
Delicious dinner followed by time with Mya the tiger
When Jack’s health finally started to improve, he would be constantly on his laptop and looking at the Jamala website.
Jack’s wish was granted in early 2026 when he, his three siblings and their parents stayed at Jamala Lodge.
Having his family with him was just as important to Jack as being up close to the lions and tigers.
Jack slept in his room adjacent to tiger Mya’s den, with only glass separating them.
When he first opened the door to his room, Jack was surprised.
“He came out of the room, his face was lit up and he goes, ‘Oh my gosh, guys, it's amazing’,” Kylie said.
Jack’s family had a delicious three-course dinner at Jamala and got to see a white tiger up close.
As they returned from dinner, Jack told his mum he wanted to use the bubble bath in his room.
“He said, ‘I'm going to take a nice big bubble bath and have my hot chocolate and watch Mya’,” Kyle said. “And I said, ‘That’s beautiful’.”
Family time key to Wish trip
Kylie said Jack and the whole family created lifelong memories at Jamala Lodge.
“When I reflect on like the sadness of the medical journey, it's replaced with what Make-A-Wish did,” she said.
“We can take away all those bad memories and just insert Jamala and our time together and all the great things we experienced there. It balances it all out.”
Jack said it was important his family was with him at Jamala.
“And I think that brought us all together, but it also allowed us to move on, because that was like our time to be there and say ‘We've done this and now, move on to the next chapter of life’.”
Kindness a driving force in Jack's plans for future
Jack’s Wish Journey showed him kindness exists in the world, according to Kylie.
It also inspired him to pursue his dream of becoming a nurse.
And while Jack’s nursing plans are on hold until he receives the immunisations he missed as a child, he’s working in a medical centre on reception.
“Kindness is at the heart of everything Make-A-Wish does,” Kylie said.
“Make-A-Wish is about getting into the child's mind, spirit and soul and giving them the strength to push through.
“I think the wish was a moment in time that we will never forget.”
