Wish stories

In 2022, Jaxen’s world changed in an instant. What started as a small bump on his head and a limp quickly led his family to the doctors, where their GP discovered his liver and spleen were swollen. Further tests brought devastating news that Jaxen had leukaemia.

Within hours, he was rushed to a children’s cancer ward and began chemotherapy immediately, the start of a three-year battle. Mum reflected, “None of us knew much about the different types of leukaemia to begin with. Jaxen has three siblings who were so scared, so managing that alongside Jaxen being so poorly was hard.”

The treatment left him neutropenic, meaning his body had very few neutrophils, the white blood cells that protect against infection. Even the smallest bug could become life-threatening. He spent long stretches in bed, losing his mobility, and missed out on so many moments of childhood. One of the hardest sacrifices was Christmas. Instead of festive plans and family gatherings, everything had to be scaled back to keep him safe, with the constant risk of infection overshadowing the season.

When Jaxen was finally discharged, he couldn’t walk. As mum shared: “He never gave up, he was so fragile, and he had no muscle in his legs because of the cannulas.” But with determination, Jaxen followed his siblings around the house, slowly relearning how to move again. In September 2025, he rang the bell to mark the end of treatment, a special moment he shared with his aunty, who is bravely facing cancer herself.

This Christmas will be their first “normal” one together in three years, a milestone the whole family is counting down to with joy. Starting off the Christmas season with a bang, Jaxen found out that he could have his very own wish. With a passion for bargain hunting, he wished ‘to go on a shopping spree’. On the lead up to his special day, his mum shared: “It’s like waiting for Christmas and counting down the days until he sees Santa.”

When Jaxen’s wish day arrived, excitement filled the air. He headed to his local Smyths Toys Superstores with his family, armed with vouchers to fill a trolley with toys of his dreams. The fun didn’t stop there, Jaxen enjoyed VIP treatment at his local shopping centre, where they shared a delicious family dinner and even stepped behind the counter at HMV to serve staff like a true star.

The wish bought back the magic of childhood that Jaxen had missed out on during his long years in treatment, as mum shared: “We made amazing memories. It’s given him back some of the fun that he’s missed out on. We haven’t had much family time leading up to Christmas, so this was very special way to start the season and end his treatment and have a bit of normality back.