Sebastian's Wish

Critical illness causes so much loneliness. It keeps children in hospital rooms instead of playing at school with their friends. It forces them to be isolated at home, away from other kids their age. It means they spend Christmas alone, away from family to protect their weakened immune systems from bugs and germs.

This was the experience of seven-year-old Sebastian who was diagnosed with a serious blood condition.

Sebastian’s mum Caroline explained there were two treatment options. The ideal one was a transplant. The other option was resetting Sebastian’s immune system by completely wiping it out and then rebuilding it

Caroline hoped for the transplant, but they needed to find a donor. “There was one person out of 36 million on the list who matched,” Caroline says. “They weren’t available.”

Sebastian’s treatment changed life as he knew it. He was pulled out of preschool. Hospital became his second home. The little boy was pricked and prodded countless times over the next few months.

Caroline says that after completing the treatment, Sebastian needed to be isolated. “Because his immune system was wiped, we had to avoid getting sick. With a small infection, he would have ended up in the hospital – which did happen fairly often. He wasn’t around kids his own age. There was real isolation and that really affected him.”

After spending so much of his life alone, Sebastian’s wish ensures he’ll always have a friend around – even if he has to isolate to protect his immunity. His wish is for a black and brown sausage dog, named Snickers.

Sebastian talks about Snickers as though he already exists. “Seb has asked me once a week about when Snickers is coming. For two years he’s been asking me for a sausage dog named Snickers. This is his ultimate wish and what he really wants,” Caroline explains.

Sebastian wished it, will you help grant it?