Meet our local Little Telethon Stars

Florence, Charlee and Nazeem are three of four Little Telethon Stars to feature in this weekend's huge charity event.

The annual Telethon weekend begins at 7pm on Saturday and runs for 26-hours.

The live TV event raises money for WA's sickest children, with last year's total reaching a record $77.5 million.

This year, four of the Little Telethon Stars include three local children from Kwinana, Rockingham and Lakelands.

Florence Shanks was born with a complex congenital heart condition which has seen her undergo three major open-heart surgeries, the most recent in April this year.

The four-year-old attends Peter Carnley Anglican Community School in Kwinana.

Her mother Roslyn is a science teacher at Comet Bay College and said she was overjoyed to find out Florence had been chosen at a Little Telethon Star.

“She’s very excited,” Mrs Shanks said.

“She keeps saying, ‘I’m famous’. She is loving the attention and was definitely destined to be in front of the camera.”

Unfortunately there is no cure for Florence's condition but Mrs Shanks is hopeful it won't stop her daughter from living life to the fullest.

“We’ve learned to appreciate everything, because nothing is guaranteed,” Mrs Shanks said.

“We’ve had four-and-a-half fabulous years with Florence which we have been so grateful for, because without the medical advances, she wouldn’t be here today.

“It’s been great to be able to shed light on what is otherwise an invisible condition, and we hope that her role as a Little Telethon Star raises awareness and funds for other children like her. This is our way of giving back.” 

Nazeem Fahmi is another local Little Telethon Star.

The eight-year-old lives with his mum in Rockingham and attends Cooloongup Primary School.

Nazeem was born not breathing and now lives with cerebral palsy.

Tragically, his father passed away just four months before his birth.

Nazeem undergoes regular intensive physical therapy thanks to the support of Telethon beneficiary, Healthy Strides Foundation, which is crucial in improving his functional mobility, motor skills, and overall quality of life.

Charlee Hosking is an outgoing, bubbly, nine-year-old girl that attends Lakelands Primary School.

She was diagnosed with a a brain tumour that blocked her spinal fluid flow, leading to surgery to insert a VP shunt and begin chemotherapy for a low-grade pilocytic astrocytoma glioma.

When her tumour didn’t respond to the initial treatment, she underwent brain surgery in March 2017 to debulk the tumour, which led to a more effective treatment plan.

Charlee's brain tumour remains inoperable but a clinical trial known as Day101 has significantly reduced its size, allowing her to stay off treatment for two years.

She loves tap and hip-hop dancing, crafting, cooking, and spending time with her friends.

Charlee has been supported by the Kids Cancer Support Group and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.