YouTube fan Kobe gets his mansion

Kobe was farewelled from his school the day of his wish, with the whole school taking part in activities for him.

There were YouTube-style cupcake and selfie challenges before the school's 180 students and 30 teachers lined up and clapped Kobe as he headed off in a sports car. The school principal also handed Kobe the key to his mansion.

"It was magical, really," Kobe's mum Kristie said. "They lined up on either side of the path out to the school gate, and 'We Will Rock You' was playing, and they were all stamping and clapping."

"You could feel the love that everybody had for him. It was beautiful."

Kristie also noticed Kobe had lost all the muscles in his neck and right arm, so she took him to their GP.

"The doctor was concerned about his breathing more than anything," Kristie recalls.

"He was rushed to hospital via ambulance, but within hours he became paralysed; he couldn't swallow, couldn't talk, couldn't move his right arm or left shoulder.

"He couldn't walk, and then within hours, he was intubated and sedated."

Kobe was diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis, a rare disease that affects the spinal cord, the part of the nervous system that carries messages to and from the brain.

"I don't know if we have ever come to terms with it. We had to find a new way of being a family."

Kristie said Kobe struggled initially with the diagnosis and thought about the food he'd get when he was discharged. He wanted both sushi and McDonald's on the way home from the hospital.

He was also thinking about his sixth birthday party, which was scheduled for a week after he landed in the hospital. It was cancelled.

"He was in the hospital for 12 months, and then we were home for four months before he was readmitted," she said.

"The wish kept him going, knowing it was coming and counting down the days," Kristie said.

"To have something so normal and not medical-related to look forward to just keeps you going."

Despite the inevitable disappointment of having his wish delayed, Kristie said Make-A-Wish had built up Kobe's anticipation, even sending a genuine model Lamborghini toy.

"It's been awesome to receive things in the mail," she said. "If we had a bad day and he received a package from Make-A-Wish, it just brightened his day. He had a smile from ear to ear.

"We all thought 'aww' when the wish was postponed, but it is what it is. We just had to wait."

Kobe's mansion included seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a basketball court, the pool and spa, a trampoline and a go-kart track.

Helping him live like a YouTuber was Kobe's best mate Lachlan, who visited on day 5 of his wish week.

"His absolute favourite thing was being surprised by his friend Lachlan," Kristie said.

"He had no idea that was happening. At 2pm, Lachlan arrived, then 3pm the limo arrived, and by 4pm, we were at laser tag.

"He was so stoked; he had no idea that Lachlan was coming."

Kristie said Kobe loved the whole wish, from start to finish.

"I asked him if it was what he had hoped for, and he said it was more than he hoped for."

Kristie echoed Kobe's thoughts, describing the wish as "perfect".

"Everybody from Make-A-Wish kept the momentum going throughout the COVID period, and never forgot about Kobe and his wish for a moment," she said.

"It was amazing; lifelong memories were made. We’re forever grateful for the memories that he was able to create.”