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WHEN KIDS PLAY, THEY ARE EXERCISING

When kids play, they are exercising.

As they move on a playground, dig in a sandpit or run around with their friends they continuously move. They grow stronger, more agile and develop into strong healthy adults.

Except kids with cancer.

When you swap normal life with brutal treatment plans, hospital beds and pain management you also lose playtime and natural movement

HOW CAN I HELP?
LITTLE BIG STEPS GETS KIDS MOVING AGAIN

Little Big Steps gets kids moving again.

With your help, we’re working to make sure every Australian child with cancer gets access to exercise medicine as part of their cancer treatment.

Research confirms that exercise medicine provides huge benefits for kids with cancer. Getting sick kids moving will:

  • Help them sleep

  • Assist with pain management

  • Reduce the anxiety of prolonged treatments

  • Improve nausea from harsh drugs

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Hi, we’re Cindy & CASS.

We met in one of those places no one ever expects they will end up and no one ever wants to be, the parent kitchen in the oncology ward of the Royal Children’s Hospital. It was 2018 and both of our children were being treated for cancer.

Lochlan Howcroft was 7 and diagnosed with acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia Philadelphia Positive (ALL PH+) and Sienna Bakos was 2 years old with aggressive Burkitt’s Leukaemia.

Continue reading “Hi, we’re Cindy & CASS.” →

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Latest News

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Ted’s Run

Ted is 5 years old and will be completing a 4.6km run at ‘Run For The Kids’  on Sunday 19th March. It will be an impressive effort by any 5 year old. But, Ted is not just any 5 year old. Ted had Leukemia, and in remission, and still undergoing treatment. In June last year, could barely walk, and had almost no muscle or fat on him. Yet, due to amazing care he has received through the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH), guidance to complete exercise to get strong (i.e. ‘feats of strength’), support from his brothers and friends to play, and his determination to be physically active, he can now run further and faster than most grownups.

Like all kid’s with Cancer, Ted’s journey has been unique. Support with exercise and physical activity has been vital to his quality of life during intense treatment phases, and more recently his recovery. We hope that Ted’s story can give kids and families hope during challenging times, and it will inspire people to donate to Little Big Steps so that more kids like Ted can be supported to engage in physical activity and exercise through their journey.

Click here
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Exercise Medicine for kids with cancer

There are four main ways Little Big Steps provides Exercise Medicine to kids with cancer.

DONATE NOW
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INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY

There are wonderful ways to use equipment to help bed-bound patients. Virtual reality goggles can make a child move without them even realising, new games that can be played with friends and family can make waiting times go faster, increase social connections and improve movement levels very quickly. A child that lays in bed without moving for long periods of time needs your help to get back up.

Get a child playing again today

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ACTIVITY TRACKING DEVICES

We all love a new device. It’s exciting.

There isn’t much left for kids to control when they are hospitalised and forced to undergo essential treatment. They can feel their choices reducing all the time. A wearable device gives them back some control and provides some choice. It gets them excited about how they can make the numbers move all by themselves. The child can set goals and challenges and see the difference their own decisions can make.

Your choice today is to get them started – donate a watch.

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RESEARCH

You just don’t know what you don’t know. There is so much still to learn about exercise Medicine and so many things that medical researchers could do to improve the long-term health of cancer patients. We are looking to support research programs that will benefit all paediatric cancer patients.

Give Big here.

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EXERCISE MEDICINE PROGRAM

Cancer treatment is serious business. It’s not something you just play around with. Little Big Steps is working with highly skilled practitioners, Exercise Physiologists and Physiotherapists who understand the implications and side effects of children having chemo, radiation and significant cancer beating drugs. We are funding positions to make sure each child has someone to look out for their exercise medicine, just like they would for all other aspects of the cancer journey.