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Editorial: When the going gets tough, WA gets behind Telethon

The West Australian
Basil Zempilas meets the 2020 Telethon stars Nora Holly, 5, and Eamon Doak, 7.
Camera IconBasil Zempilas meets the 2020 Telethon stars Nora Holly, 5, and Eamon Doak, 7. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian

A global pandemic has ensured this weekend we’ll see a Telethon like no other but there is good reason to believe not even COVID-19 can dim WA’s generous spirit.

Even in the darkest times, West Aussies have shown their support for Telethon, which has raised an astonishing $350 million over the past 53 years as one of the most successful and enduring charities in the world.

As reported in The West Australian today, Tarryn and Nayyer Bolani exemplify the way West Aussies stand up for each other when the going gets tough.

And few of us have had it as tough as the Bolanis.

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After an uneventful pregnancy, Mrs Bolani became seriously ill and Yasir was born six weeks early, 13 months ago.

After three days in intensive care, Yasir was diagnosed with Down syndrome, then, when he was only two weeks old, two holes in his heart were discovered.

Little Yasir spent months in Perth Children’s Hospital, one of Telethon’s two major beneficiaries, eventually needing open-heart surgery and fighting for his life on a ventilator before pulling through.

Mrs Bolani said their heads had been kept above water over the traumatic last year with the help of three support groups, which are all funded by Telethon.

The Bolanis had planned to visit family in Pakistan this year but the hard border closure made them think of other ways to use the money.

So, this family decided to donate $1000 to Telethon as a way of saying thanks for all the lifesaving care their “happy little boy” received on his road back to health.

Their story illustrates the impact every dollar donated to Telethon has on health outcomes of sick kids in WA and beyond.

More than that, the generosity and gratitude of the Bolanis reflects how we all feel about Telethon, which is why no pandemic will ever stop West Aussies from looking after each other and our world-class child health system.

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