How Angelia’s band of bears helped her through her toughest battle
2025-04-30
If you were wanting to witness the effect a bear from The Kids’ Cancer Project has on a child with cancer, look no than five-year-old Perth local, Angelia.
Diagnosed with B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at age two, Angelia was put through strenuous treatment while her parents Andrew and Gab watched on helplessly. The first six weeks of her treatment is something Andrew tries to forget, but as he says, there was something that managed to lift her spirits.
.jpeg)
“It was in her darkest moments that she found happiness in the comfort of a cuddly bear. Six of them in fact!”
Andrew says soft toys are Angelia’s happy place. The treatment rounds were quite traumatic, but those bears completely changed her emotions. One minute, she was down in the dumps, just sleeping, not listening to anyone, like she had no care in the world, but as soon as she saw a little bear, she was happy.
“Even if it was just for that one second, just to see that smile on her face. It was rare, but when we did see it, it was amazing,” he says.
Every time Angelia went to the hospital for treatment, she’d come out with a new bear. They were the emotional uplift she needed to get through each difficult round of treatment.
“I promise you, when these bears arrive in the hospital, they can completely change a child’s day. It’s just such a great initiative. We really hope that keeps going, because, like I said, the smile they bring to the kids’ faces is priceless.
“Kids love soft toys, and who doesn’t love a teddy bear—a nice, cuddly one you can hold? If donors can keep them coming, it’ll be fantastic.
“There are so many generous people in the world. I just ask that everyone give whatever they can to change these kids' days and help fund better treatments. These kids don’t deserve this life.”
By donating a tax-deductible bear for $59.95 this end of financial year, you’re providing a source of light during a dark time for a child with cancer.