This Starlight Day (Tuesday, 20 May), the Starlight Children’s Foundation is calling on Australians to help raise $1.3 million to bring happiness to seriously ill kids just like Alice.

When three-year-old Alice was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer behind her right eye, her family’s world turned upside down. Amid months of chemotherapy, radiation, and eventually the removal of her eye, Alice found one constant source of comfort and joy: Captain Starlight.

Whether visiting her hospital room or welcoming her into the Starlight Express Room, Captain Starlight helped Alice escape the painful routines of hospital life—if only for a moment—through laughter, creativity, and play.

Alice in hospital 2025

Now, the Starlight Children’s Foundation is calling on Australians to help create more moments like these for children in hospital. Launching on Starlight Day (Tuesday, 20 May), the charity’s national appeal aims to raise $1.3 million by the end of June to keep its essential hospital programs running across the country.

Every Minute Matters

Every minute of every day, a child is admitted to hospital in Australia. In that moment, their world shifts from playgrounds and school friends to doctors, needles, and fear.

Starlight exists to transform the hospital experience for these children through programs that focus on happiness, play, and human connection. Funds raised this Starlight Day will support more than 33,000 seriously ill children nationwide through:

• Captain Starlight, who visits children in wards daily

• Starlight Express Rooms, fun-filled spaces within hospitals

• Planet Starlight, a digital platform delivering entertainment and connection wherever a child is, via any device

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Vital Impact, Nationwide Reach

In the year ahead, Starlight expects to provide:

• 400 daily visits to Starlight Express Rooms

• 550 ward visits each day by Captain Starlight

• 170,000 digital experiences through Planet Starlight by the end of 2025

These experiences don’t just entertain—they improve mental health, boost resilience, and help kids and families feel less alone during long hospital stays.

“They Still Deserve to Feel Like Kids”

Alice’s mum, Sian Morley, says Starlight helped her daughter hold onto her childhood during the darkest times.

“Even though they’re navigating tough times, kids still deserve to feel like kids. Starlight gave Alice her smile back—and gave us moments of joy we’ll always treasure,” she said.

How to Help

Starlight CEO Louise Baxter urges Australians to consider what it would be like if it were their child in hospital.

“When a child is seriously ill, they lose more than their health—they lose routine, connection and joy. Through fun, entertainment, and family connection, Starlight helps bring some of that joy back. But we can’t do it without the community’s support,” she said.

Throughout May, supporters can also donate in-store at Spotlight, The Lott, and Repco nationwide.
From 19–26 May, Caltex will also contribute a portion of selected purchases to Starlight.

Donate Today:

To learn more or make a donation, visit www.starlight.org.au. Every donation—big or small—helps brighten the lives of sick kids in hospital.