About Starlight

The mission of the Coogee Climb has been to help bring happiness, laughter and play to sick kids in the Starlight Express Room at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick.

Every month, children and their families make over 1600 visits to the Sydney Children’s Hospital Starlight Express Room. And each week, over 230 Captain Starlight experiences are provided to children in the ward, so no one is missing out from having fun.

At Starlight we know that happiness matters to sick kids facing the pain, fear and stress of serious illness. That’s why we work in partnership with health professionals to bring the fun, joy and laughter that is essential to sick kids’ health and wellbeing.

From one Starlight Wish granted more than 30 years ago, we now create over half a million Starlight Experiences to sick kids each year.

All of those experiences are based on the needs of seriously ill children and young people. Our programs are supported by research and evaluation to ensure excellence in everything we do. Starlight is Australia’s broadest reaching children’s charity and recognised as an integral part of the healthcare system.

Where your donations go

Captain Starlight

Our superheroes of fun bring joy, laughter and happiness to sick kids inside and outside of hospital.

In hospital

Captain Starlight can be found delivering fun and laughter in every major children's hospital in Australia.

Livewire

Using the power of creativity & community to support teens with a serious illness or disability in hospital & online.

Meet Molly

Four-year-old Molly is kind. She loves to make people smile and laugh and she loves the ocean. Molly is fascinated by marine life and reads books and watches documentaries to learn more about her favourite animals. When parents Katrina and Mark noticed that Molly had a sore ankle, they never suspected it would turn their lives upside down. A blood test returned an unexpected diagnosis. Molly had cancer.

“We were in complete shock. Mark and I both went numb,” Molly’s mum Katrina said. “We never talked about the possibility that a sore ankle could be something as life threatening as cancer. I kept asking the doctors if they’d made a mistake.”

A side effect of one of Molly’s medications was depression. "The Captains knew this and every day they would somehow manage to bring Molly's smile back,” said Katrina.

"During the worst possible time in our lives the Starlight foundation brought joy back, they helped Molly heal emotionally."