Natalie's Story
A childhood cancer diagnosis changes everything.
Not just for the child diagnosed - but for the whole family.
For Natalie, that change came when her younger brother Henry was diagnosed with leukaemia at just seven years old.
“I remember not being completely sure what was going on. I knew something was wrong.”
Overnight, life changed for the entire family.
Natalie watched her brother become quiet and withdrawn. She watched her parents trying to hold everything together while navigating hospital stays, treatment, fear, and uncertainty.
At the same time, Natalie was trying to make sense of it all too.
Through the Childhood Cancer Association’s Super Important Brothers and Sisters (SIBS) program, Natalie was able to connect with other children facing similar experiences. It was a place where she met children who understood what she was going through, could simply be a kid again, and no longer feel so alone.
“After joining SIBS, I felt great knowing there was another support system, and that I wasn’t alone,” Natalie remembers.
SIBS gave Natalie a safe space to talk openly about her feelings, better understand what her brother was going through, and learn ways she could both support him and cope during an incredibly difficult time.
While Henry underwent treatment, Natalie’s family was also adjusting to another major life change. Their mum Angela was 39 weeks pregnant at the time of Henry’s diagnosis – and gave birth just two days later.
“It was just overwhelming… it was a whirlwind,” Angela recalls.
“We had three kids. One who was in need of critical care, one who was a newborn, and a third [Natalie] who was still needing her family.”
Because childhood cancer doesn’t just affect the child diagnosed.
It affects the whole family.
That’s why the Childhood Cancer Association provides critical support beyond the hospital walls – helping families emotionally and practically through every stage of the experience.
From the moment of diagnosis, families are connected with tailored and vital support for the whole family – ensuring they never have to face childhood cancer alone.
“The Childhood Cancer Association were there from day one,” Angela shares.
“The support has been invaluable to us.”
Today, more than 450 families receive support from the Childhood Cancer Association.
Our support is:
For the whole family
Supporting parents, siblings, caregivers and extended family members.
Ongoing
From diagnosis, through treatment, survivorship, and bereavement.
Accessible
Available when families need it most.
Free
Ensuring every family can access support, regardless of circumstance.
No family should face childhood cancer alone.
Right now, another family is hearing the words no parent ever wants to hear.
They will leave hospital carrying more than a diagnosis.
They will need more than medical care.
They will need emotional support, practical assistance, and someone to walk beside them through the hardest time of their lives.
Your tax-deductible donation today will help ensure families receive critical support for the whole family – when they need it most.
How Your Gift Helps
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$50 – Provide practical support when a family needs it most.
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$110 – Connect a sibling with the SIBS program.
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$250 – Provide counselling for the whole family.
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$1,000 – Support a family from the moment of diagnosis.
Every gift helps ensure no family faces childhood cancer alone.
As Angela shares:
“If anyone was thinking about donating, I would say just please do.”
Your donation will help provide a family with the support they need, when they need it most.
