Four hero kids Nazeem Fahmi, Florence Shanks, Nate Fearnall, Charlee Hosking named 2024 Little Telethon Stars
Claire Sadler
thewest.com.au
These four kids know first-hand the power Telethon can have on young lives, and are now working to inspire West Australians to help more sick children like them.
The pint-sized heroes have been named this year’s Little Telethon Stars and were surprised with the big news while in Yagan Square — the heart of the annual fundraising weekend.
The unsuspecting children were joined by Telethon host Basil Zempilas as the big screen in Yagan Square suddenly showed the hosts of Seven’s The Morning Show, Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies.
“It’s been a big one for us. Larry even won a Gold Logie, but as famous as that’s made him, it is nothing compared to what is about to happen to you,” Gillies said in the video.
“A huge congratulations, because we are here to officially announce that you are the awesome foursome.”
As Emdur and Gillies said “you are our 2024 Little Telethon Stars”, the four erupted into applause and cheers.
Nate Fearnall, Florence Shanks, Charlee Hosking and Nazeem Fahmi will bring that same excitement and energy to the Telethon stage next month in a bid to get West Aussies to dig deep.
The announcement of the new Little Telethon Stars starts the countdown to the 57th annual Telethon, from October 19-20. This year’s theme is Incredible Together.
Nate, Florence, Charlee and Nazeem will be joined by a stellar line-up including special guests from Seven programs Home And Away, Dancing With The Stars, Sunrise, The Morning Show, 7News, and Better Homes And Gardens.
The fundraising extravaganza will be broadcast live from RAC Arena featuring top-quality entertainment and couch chats with special guests, and will especially shine a light on the beneficiaries who, with the generous donations of the WA community, are changing the lives of children across the State.
The much-loved Telethon Family Festival will also be back on Wellington Street on Sunday, October 20.
Public transport on the day will be free, with just a gold coin donation needed to watch the live broadcast inside RAC Arena.
The Little Telethon Stars will have their TV debuts on 7News on Sunday.
Nazeem Fahmi
Nazeem’s father died four months before he was born, leaving his mother to give birth alone.
Compounding the emotional strain, Nazeem was born not breathing and it took 13 agonising minutes before he finally took his first breath.
The eight-year-old lives with cerebral palsy and dystonia, which affects all his limbs and causes muscle spasms.
The Coolongup Primary School student’s life is filled with hospital visits and intensive therapies with Telethon beneficiary Health Strides, but despite these challenges he has a joyful enthusiasm for life.
Nazeem Fahmi, 8. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West Australian
His mum Noraishah said Nazeem being chosen as a Little Telethon Star showed how far he had come.
“Nazeem has been persevering from his first breath to his first sound to his first feed, and obviously he is still persevering,” she said.
“When he first came into my life, we didn’t know what his future would be like. It was all unknown. So to see how far he has come is ‘wow’.
“He’s fought all the way from the time he was blessed to me to today.”
Florence Shanks
Florence looks like any other fun-loving four-year-old but a complex congenital heart condition means she has required three major surgeries in her young life.
The Peter Carnley Anglican Community School kindy student was born with several abnormalities in her heart, which necessitated two open-heart surgeries as a newborn before undergoing another surgery less than six months ago.
Telethon beneficiary HeartKids has been at Florence’s side since she was a baby to provide her with an extensive support system including in cardiology, psychology, ENT, speech and occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and dietetics.
Florence Shanks, 4. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West Australian
“The last couple of years have been a long waiting game, waiting for her to deteriorate to a certain point to then do the next surgery,” her mum Roslyn said.
“It’s been amazing seeing how much she has flourished over the last couple of months post-surgery.
“She’s a real bundle of energy and she’s always performing at home and doing little performances on makeshift stages, so I think she’s going to love it.”
Nate Fearnall
Nate is lucky to be alive after he spent his first two months on life support and a further seven months in hospital after being born with pulmonary lymphangiectasia — a rare lung condition with a high mortality rate.
The seven-year-old had a rough start in hospital, experiencing multiple strokes which have left him with cerebral palsy.
The Batemans Primary School student is also missing vessels in his upper body, and his aorta continues to block, leading to six surgeries.
A diagnosis of hydrocephalus — an abnormal build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain — also meant he needed brain surgery at eight months old to insert a permanent shunt.
Nate Fearnall, 7. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West Australian
His long list of conditions means he has been supported by several Telethon beneficiaries including Healthy Strides, HeartKids, Kiind, ReboundWA, and the PCH Foundation, which have all contributed to his continuing growth.
Despite a lot of tough times for young Nate, he is the life of any party and has been a prominent ambassador for children with disabilities.
When he was told he was going to be a Little Telethon Star, Nate said it was “the best day ever”.
“He will love being up there and mucking around with all the celebrities and doing all the fun things,” his mum, Kellie Fearnall, said.
Charlee Hosking
Nine-year-old Charlee especially loved jumping in puddles before she became sick and was diagnosed with a low-grade pilocytic astrocytoma glioma — one of the most common paediatric brain tumours.
The tumour blocked her spinal fluid flow, meaning she had to undergo surgery to insert a shunt and have chemotherapy.
After initial treatment didn’t work, the brave girl had brain surgery in 2017 to reduce the size of the tumour.
Although her brain tumour remains inoperable, a clinical trial known as Day 101 has significantly reduced its size, allowing her to stay off treatment for two years.
Charlee Hosking, 9. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West Australian
The Lakelands Primary School student is supported by several Telethon beneficiaries, including the Kids Cancer Support Group, which has helped with various treatments like MRIs, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Charlee doesn’t let her health challenges stop her — she loves chatting, tap and hip-hop dancing, cooking, crafting, and spending time with friends.
She said she couldn’t wait to tell the live Telethon audience about her cheerleading and her new puppy, Alfie.
“It’s really good and really exciting,” she said.