Despite being just five years old, Rory has walked a path many will never encounter
2024-10-28
Rory’s hobbies include wrestling, playing in the dirt and tormenting his brother. He’s a loveable little guy and he and his three siblings make his mum, Jen and dad, Ben prouder every single day.
It was a phone call from Rory’s preschool to Jen about a slight temperature that was the catalyst for a whirlwind for the Hillery family. Jen says nothing compares to the events that followed.
"It still feels like a dream," Jen says.
"The conversations we’re having now are surreal. I’ve always thought to myself that things like these don’t happen to real people. They happen to people on TV. Why is this happening to us?
After being picked up from preschool, Rory was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in the hours that followed.
Immense upheaval
Upon learning of Rory’s diagnosis, the entire family packed up their lives in Canberra and moved temporarily to Sydney while he underwent treatment at The Sydney Children’s Hospital. Ben had to resign from his job and still hasn’t returned to work since.
Months of treatment followed and Rory’s condition improved enough for him to go home. Fast forward to now, and Jen is still in awe of her little boy’s character.
“His resilience is unbelievable. I know grown people who would crumble putting up with half the stuff these kids go through. They’re amazing.
A blooming community
Rory’s passion for gardening has been felt by many members of his local community. His and Jen’s ambition to become green thumbs was slowed by his illness, but thankfully the Canberra community came to call upon his return to the nation’s capital.
“When we got home, we joined a Facebook gardening group and asked if there were any little clippings we could buy in preparation for spring. So many people responded. It was an amazing outpouring of kindness. Our exotic yellow raspberry tree is going strong and Rory is thrilled!"
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Rory’s ability to bounce back so quickly is not only a testament to his spirit, but the brilliance of childhood cancer researchers. It’s researchers like Dr Claire Wakefield that will assist Rory as he continues to recover from leukaemia in later life. Based at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Dr Wakefield is a medical psychologist that works on programs to help families transition back to a normal life after a cancer diagnosis.
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Rory’s swift recovery is a testament to his courage and the ingenuity of childhood cancer research. Only with your support can we continue to fund researchers backed by The Kids’ Cancer Project.
Will you please donate $108 to fund a researcher for two hours?