It was a simple wish – to play at the beach – but one that Dane Robinson and his parents thought may never come true.
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Thankfully it did on Thursday when the seven-year-old Shellharbour boy – who has cerebral palsy – got to enjoy the sand and saltwater with his parents and little brother Cooper for the first time.
His mother Sally thanked the Starlight Children’s Foundation for granting Dane’s wish, with the gift of a custom-made beach wheelchair.
‘’Dane’s wish was decided upon one afternoon around 12 months ago,’’ Mrs Robinson said.
‘’He has very limited speech but he was watching television and he saw a family playing at the beach.
‘’He kept pointing to the TV, and then pointing at his legs. I asked him ‘Do you want to go to the beach’ and he said ‘yes’. That was when I knew what to ask for for him.’’
On a trip to Little Lake beach on Thursday, Dane’s joy was clear to see.
‘’He’s so excited, he’s just jumping and bouncing around – he just loves it,’’ Mrs Robinson said.
‘’It’s just so wonderful to see because even though we live just minutes from the beach, we haven’t been able to come here.
‘’Our family is looking forward to a very different summer.’’
Dane was born three months premature, so tiny he could fit into a butter container said Mrs Robinson.
Our family is looking forward to a very different summer.
- Sally Robinson
He suffers from seizures and can’t walk, sit unaided or hold into things for more than a few seconds.
‘’Despite all that he’s a happy, sociable little boy,’’ his father Grant said.
‘’He always wants to be out and about, and whenever we walk past a beach, he wants to be there – now he can thanks to Starlight and our family will be forever grateful.’’
The Starlight Foundation this week launched its 2016 Christmas Appeal, and is aiming to raise more than $500,000 to grant 80 life-changing wishes for seriously ill children across the country.
Spokeswoman Nicole Campbell said since 1988, Starlight had granted nearly 9500 wishes.
‘’We’re thrilled to be able to help Dane experience the simple pleasure of a day at the beach,’’ she said.
‘’We hope people will dig deep for our Christmas appeal, to ensure other kids’ dreams can come true.’’
Visit www.starlight.org.au to help out.
