A little boy with Leukemia hasn’t lost his smile, and friends and family are ensuring he keeps it for good.
Levi Wilkinson was diagnosed with cancer in November last year, the same year he started playing rugby league for the Penrith Waratahs JRLC in the Under-5’s.
To raise money for Levi’s family, the club will host a Colour Run on February 22 and continue fundraising efforts throughout the season.
“During March, I think we’ll have three trial matches at our home fields, and we’re looking at doing a cake stall, putting some colour spray into kids’ hair, and doing temporary tattoos, and all money raised will be going to Levi’s family,” said the club’s fundraising coordinator Sarah Smith.
“He’s always got a happy smile on his face, he’s the happiest little boy.”
Levi’s family are incredibly appreciative of the club’s support.
“To see that there are people who don’t even know us or weren’t in the team with him last year coming forward and supporting and being a part of this makes me really happy,” said Levi’s mum, Bianca Lowe.
Levi is in good spirits after just finishing his second cycle of chemotherapy, but he now spends around 70 per cent of his time in a wheelchair.
“The chemotherapy has reduced all his muscle capacity, so he hasn’t been able to walk,” Lowe explained.
“But, in saying that, with the chemo slowing down at the moment, it’s slowly coming back; it comes and goes depending on the different types of treatment.”
The family have embarked on a two-year treatment plan, hoping to see Levi cured by November 5, 2026.
In the meantime, the Penrith family of five are doing it tough, with their dual income impacted as pressure builds.
“We both had our own companies, I’m a hairdresser and I’ve had to stop my home business, and my partner has a glazing company,” Lowe stated.
“At the moment, he tries to work up to three days a week so we can get some money… The crisis isn’t slowing down, but our lives are.”
It’s Levi’s cheeky grin that keeps his parents going, despite his disappointment about not being out on the field.
“It makes him really sad that he can’t walk and he can’t play football,” Lowe said with a tight throat.
“All he wants to do is get back out on the field and play with his friends.”
The family are hoping to organise a meeting with Levi’s hero, Nathan Cleary, to make his smile even brighter.
“If he got to see the one person that really inspired him to have fun out on the field, it would make this hard journey a little bit more endurable,” Lowe said.
To support the family, grab a ticket for the Penrith Waratahs Colour Run for $25 and head to Doug Rennie Oval in Kingswood from 4pm to 6pm on Saturday, February 22. Family discounts are available for tickets, and each one includes a headband and sunglasses.
Find out more on the Penrith Waratahs JRLC Facebook page.
Ally Hall
Ally Hall joined the Weekender in 2024, and focuses on entertainment and community stories. She's a graduate of the University of South Australia and has previously worked as a Video Journalist with Southern Cross Austereo and as a News Reader with Australian Radio Network.