Subtitle:
Bubbly, caring, determined and a real animal lover!
Description:
When Zoe’s not laughing and dancing around to Taylor Swift or Katy Perry you’ll find her spending time with her animals. She particularly loves horses and says they’re full of beauty.
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Meet eleven-year-old Zoe! Her mum Evonne says "when she's not laughing and dancing around to Taylor Swift or Katy Perry, you'll find her spending time with her animals. She particularly loves horses and says they're full of beauty."
"She adores seeing the horses when they're out in the paddocks and her aunt has miniature ponies and horses which Zoe thinks are pretty awesome," Evonne said.
Zoe enjoys these times so much as she often has to be in hospital away from her family, friends and her beloved animals.
Family life changed suddenly when Zoe fell ill a year ago. "Zoe had the flu and pneumonia and she just wasn't getting better. The weight was falling off her and she was having difficulty eating," her mum recalls. Their doctor ordered an x-ray which revealed Zoe had a tumour in her chest.
"It was all such a shock and so overwhelming. We had to get to the hospital straight away and Zoe had a series of blood tests and procedures," Evonne said. "We were then told the only option was for Zoe to have her entire oesophagus removed."
What followed was nearly six months in hospital seeing surgeons and specialists. Zoe's condition left her with restrictive lung disease and ongoing digestive and breathing difficulties.
The family lives 100km from the hospital so it was very hard on Zoe being away from her brother and sister and her everyday routine.
Evonne said she remembers one particular day in hospital when Zoe was feeling really unwell when a nurse suggested she should tune in to Starlight TV and take part in the quiz.
"Well, the look on Zoe's face! She tuned in and just loved it," her mum said. Then Zoe received a surprise visit from Captain Starlight who said as soon as Zoe felt up to it, she could come to visit the Starlight Express Room.
Evonne said that Zoe started to get stronger and was determined to see the Starlight Express Room. And after that first visit, no trip to hospital was complete without Zoe popping in to say hello to Captain Starlight!
'Starlight gave her determination and something to focus on apart from hospital - Evonne, Zoe's mum'
And Zoe’s brother and sister visit her in the Starlight Express Room too. Evonne says she loves that it’s for kids of all ages and there’s something fun for everyone.
"The Starlight Express Room made staying in hospital not such a horrible thing. It's a place where there are always smiles and Zoe can just be herself and have some fun," Evonne said.
Zoe loves everything about the Starlight Express Room, especially all the games and craft. But she says one day stands out for her and it had to do with horses! "The day we got to see the Melbourne Cup in real life was amazing!" she said.
Zoe celebrates the Melbourne Cup at school each year and she looks forward to the excitement of watching the horses race. "We're all given little horses on the day and it's so much fun!" she said.
Hospital will continue to be part of Zoe's life, but thanks to the generosity of Starlight supporters, Captain Starlight can bring some fun and joy to this bright, bubbly little girl.
And when asked what she would like to say to Starlight supporters, Zoe's mum said: "Words cannot explain the impact. What Captain Starlight does is amazing. To see the smile come back on a sick child's face is absolutely priceless."
This year, Starlight is the charity partner of the Victoria Racing Club. All proceeds from the sales of Melbourne Cup pins will go directly towards helping sick kids like Zoe - BUY YOUR PIN TODAY!
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Story Type:
Starlight kid
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Starlight Kids