Community gift to cancer victim sparks new tradition

The Wollongong community raised $100,000 in 2007 so one-year-old Lewis Sargent-Wilson could receive the gift of life: his two-year-old brother Billy's bone marrow donation.Lewis was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, an aggressive blood cancer, on Boxing Day 2006, but although so young at the time, he knows what his brother and the community did.Now almost six, he is getting ready to start school at Russell Vale with Billy and his sister Ruby.He is also well enough to go on his first camping trip this week, but not before his family and residents in Peppermint Circuit, Woonona helped him raise money for other families affected by leukaemia.This year Lewis and his younger brother Harry dressed up as elves, his sister as an angel and Billy as Santa, to collect money for the Leukaemia Foundation in front of their grandparents' house in Edgewood Estate.It is the third year the whole street has been involved in helping the Sargent-Wilson family say thank you by displaying Christmas lights and helping the children with the collection bucket.Grandma Michele Harvey said the atmosphere was always great and this Christmas a new trend emerged."It was amazing to see the young P-platers come through, stop and empty envelopes of money into the bucket," she said."Many came back three times and they are starting to do their cars up with lights and dressing up."It all means Peppermint Circuit is becoming a must-see location at Christmas.Many visitors have not forgotten the bravery of Lewis and Billy - and how 750 people gathered at the Portofino in April 2007 and gave $100,000 to help the family, as they prepared for the bone marrow transplant in Sydney Children's Hospital that June.Mrs Harvey said two years ago the neighbourhood collected $1100 in the bucket."The next year we collected $2400. This year, unbelievably we have collected $4300."The neighbours really get behind the whole concept. They have all put extra effort into their lights, some buy lollies for me to give out."The whole street is alive with community spirit."The Sargent-Wilsons don't have to ask for donations any more."People just throw money in the bucket," Billy and Lewis said.Dad Adam Sargent-Wilson said he and his wife Kerrin are constantly amazed at Wollongong people's generosity.