When Aikom Singh was four years old, a brain scan revealed every parent’s worst nightmare.
A tumour was occupying more than half of his skull.
What followed was a brutal medical battle involving two brain surgeries, nine weeks of intense daily radiation and a painstaking rehabilitation process where the young boy had to learn how to walk and talk all over again.
His father, Sarab Singh, still remembers hearing those six life changing letters for the very first time.
“Part of you becomes angry and asks why this has happened to your child,” Mr Singh said.
“But another part of you refuses to give up.
“We eventually realised that both parts would always exist within us and that we had a choice about which one we would feed.”
Now 11, Aikom is cancer-free and pursuing a passionate dream of one day making it as a professional golfer.
His love for the game brought him and his father to the lush greens of Lake Karrinyup Country Club on Friday for the third annual Telethon Golf Day.
“Golf’s my favourite sport. I play every Sunday at Juniors on the North Course at Lake Karrinyup, which Lake Karrinyup, in my opinion, is the best course in WA,” Aikom said of the lush private course that not many regular golfers get the chance to play.
“It’s just amazing to raise money and help all the people who are at the hospital and are not well, and I hope they get better soon.”
More than 30 teams hit the sunny course for a day of camaraderie and spirited competition, all united by a shared mission to brighten the futures of sick and vulnerable children across our State.
Lake Karrinyup isn’t just a picturesque backdrop for the fundraiser; the club shares a legendary history with Telethon.
Almost six decades ago, a casual conversation at the course between former Channel 7 Perth Managing Director Sir James Cruthers and Princess Margaret Hospital CEO Jim Clarkson sowed the seed for the now legendary televised fundraising marathon.
In the decades since, the iconic WA institution has raised an astounding $778 million, funding groundbreaking medical research, state-of-the-art hospital equipment, vital clinical services, and grass-roots community programs.
This year’s golf day saw players share the course with the inspiring 2025 Little Telethon Stars — Izzy, Jordan, Paige, and Xavier — alongside Australian golfing royalty including professional tour players Brett Rumford and Danielle Peers.
“I was almost crying during the speeches, it’s just so heartbreaking,” Ms Peers said.
“I have my own children, so like you can really feel it and relate to it, and you just hope that no one has to go through that, but people do. So if I can make that burden any less, then it’s worth it,” Ms Peers said.
The day on the greens was staged with backing from Lake Karrinyup Country Club, Audi Centre Perth, Seven West Media and Fraser’s Restaurant.
“We only open the gates three to four times a year so it’s a great honour to open it to Telethon and the beneficiaries,” Mark Adams the General Manager at Lake Karrinyup Country Club said.
“It’s the third year in a row, we’re very excited and it’s a whole club experience.
“We have members, staff, management, and all of our committees getting involved, they all get behind us in support.
“When we open the gates, it’s done on a very rare occasion, and this is one of the most special ones for us.”
Aikom’s presence at the event served as a powerful reminder of what community generosity achieves.
For Mr Singh, seeing his son flourish was a moment he would never forget — and something he hopes other families with sick kids will eventually get to experience.
“A couple of years ago Aikom got the final tick of five years cancer free,” he said.
“We were in the car park downstairs at the Children’s Hospital. As we were driving out, I gave him a high five but he kind of left me hanging. And I said, “What’s going on?
“He folded his hands and put his cap down. He goes, ‘but how come the other kids don’t make it?’
“We realised from that day we were going to do everything and anything we can to to help raise awareness and support.
“Aikom is here today because of extraordinary clinicians and the treatments available to him.
“Our hope is that continued support for Telethon and childhood cancer research will mean the next child receives treatment that is more precise, more effective and carries fewer lifelong consequences.
“I mean look at Aikom, he’s flourishing, he’s thriving, he’s beaten cancer, he lives with very minimal, virtually no deficits. It’s amazing what Telethon are doing behind the scenes. It is just spectacular. It means the world to us.”
Following the end of the tournament, Aikom won nearest to the pin on hole five and was just eight centimetres away from getting a hole in one.
The countdown is officially on for the 2026 Telethon Weekend, which is set to take over RAC Arena on October 17 and 18.
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails