William and Kristin’s family story

William’s diagnosis

In March 2022, William’s life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

Prior to his diagnosis, William’s mum, Kristin, noticed changes in her little boy’s body and when he didn’t improve after a few days, she knew something wasn’t right, and took him to the doctor.

William was quickly transported to the Children’s Hospital where scans revealed three masses on his chest, liver and spleen.

The oncologist shared with Kristin the urgent need for a lumbar puncture and bone marrow aspirate procedure to determine an exact diagnosis, but the mass on William’s chest posed a high-risk challenge.

Kristin was given an impossible decision; William could undergo chemotherapy to try and break down the mass, which could compromise the accuracy of his diagnosis, or go ahead with the much higher-risk procedure to provide a more accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

Kristin chose the high-risk procedure, which led to a diagnosis of T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia.

It was a heart-wrenching decision but thankfully, William’s procedure went smoothly. However, William was in hospital recovering for a long time, and the experience took a huge toll on the whole family, in a number of ways.

How Redkite supported William’s family

Kristin remembers how touching it was receiving support from Redkite, at a time when they needed it most.

Kristin is extremely grateful for the support they received when William was so ill and wants as many families as possible to receive the same help that they did. 

“Redkite also provided significant financial assistance, including payment of phone bills and car registration, as well as offering food gift cards. Additionally, they facilitated online support groups for all family members. I am extremely grateful for the support we received.

Fast-forward to three years later, William has completed his treatments and is now in recovery. 

“Redkite helped our family during William’s treatment so I thought it would be great to give back to other families that are in a situation that I know all too well…”

Heartbreak to Hope Walk

In May, Kristin took part in the Heartbreak to Hope Walk, walking 226km and raising $1,461 for Redkite.

Everyone who participated in the 2025 Heartbreak to Hope Walk, helped to provide counselling to families, keep food on the table with grocery vouchers, and help pay the bills for families who have to drop everything at short notice to be with their child in hospital for weeks at a time.

“As the first anniversary of my son’s treatment draws near, my family and I were committed to walking 100km in May for Heartbreak to Hope, to pay tribute to William’s extraordinary two-and-a-half-year battle against cancer. William’s unshakeable spirit and capacity to uplift those around him has left an indelible mark.”