When I look at my son after putting him down in bed for the night I know I am serious blessed and lucky to be so unaware of what it must be like to live the life of a parent with a seriously ill child.
Could you imagine doing the same thing, laying your beautiful baby down in bed, but in a hospital room and having to leave them to go home for desperately needed sleep because what good are you to them when you’re tired, emotional and exhausted after spending 23 hours at the hospital because you simply cannot bare to leave them?
Operating since before I was born, The Starlight Foundation is a non-profit organization that has been brightening the lives of seriously ill children and teenagers in hospital for over thirty years.
Watch below to see just how much joy and magic they bring to sick kids … it’s seriously heartwarming! What imaginations, and let’s face it, anything that can take the focus of these young kids being in hospital has got to be celebrated right? Changing lives!
The work they do is seriously incredible when you consider the impact they have on the young children they work with and their families.
They provide medical free havens in hospitals all over Australia with fun, bright and vibrant rooms for sick kids to escape from the pain of needles and relentless cycles of tests and procedures. They grant once-in-a-lifetime wishes to seriously ill children and their families giving them experiences to look forward to and creating everlasting memories. They provide much-needed support to siblings of seriously ill children and create programs such as Captain Starlight to provide an all-encompassing approach to the medical needs of sick kids, creating a healing environment filled with fun, laughter and joy.
Want to make a difference but don’t know how?
Grab your family, your friends (or all of them together!) and invite them over to yours (or a park!) to host your very own StarBQ! Starlight. BBQ. StarBQ. See what they did there? 😉
It’s a BBQ with a difference, raising money for sick kids and every single cent goes towards making Starlight wishes come true and keeping Starlight room hospital doors open 24/7 to be available when sick kids and their families need them the most, whatever time of day or night.
The Starlight Foundation receives no government funding, yep that’s right. So to make an impact on the children that really need it, Starlight Foundation really does need your support.
The more money you raise, the more smiles Starlight Foundation can put on the faces of sick kids!
The best way to raise money is of course to ask your friends and family, but also tell them why their support is so important.
$20 Provides art and craft supplies for a hospitalised child.
$39 Brightens the hospital experience for a child with Starlight’s programs.
$78 Brightens the hospital experience for two children with Starlight programs.
$150 Connects a teenager to livewire.org.au providing much needed peer to peer support.
$312 Brightens the hospital experience for eight children with Starlight’s programs.
$750 Connects five teenagers to livewire.org.au providing much needed peer to peer support.
$6,500 Grants a life-changing Starlight wish giving a seriously ill child and their family something positive to look forward to.
You can be as chilled-out mum or pedantic-event-planner mum as you desire.
Want to serve your StarBQ on napkins, use fingers for cutlery and drink from recycled paper cups? Go for it. Want to host five stars using fine white china crockery, polished silverware and expensive crystal glasses? You can send my invitation care of mumcentral.com.au.
Whatever you decide to do, you’ll be helping the Starlight Foundation continue to put precious smiles on the faces of sick children in hospital, and you’ll have fun doing it!
