By Julian Leeser MP
Some days stay with you. Meeting Luke and Natalie and hearing about their son Levi was one of those days.
Levi was just nine years old when he lost his courageous battle with DIPG, a rare, aggressive and incurable childhood brain tumour.
But Levi’s story is about so much more than the illness that took him.
He was a much-loved son, brother and mate who loved sport. He played soccer with West Pennant Hills Cherrybrook, rugby league with the Pennant Hills-Cherrybrook Stags, AFL with West Pennant Hills-Cherrybrook, and cricket with West Pennant Hills and later Kenthurst. These were more than sporting clubs to Levi – they were places where he found friendship, belonging and community.
His parents told me that just weeks before his diagnosis, Levi was taking wickets in cricket. The speed at which his health deteriorated was something they could never have imagined.
Despite their unimaginable grief, Luke and Natalie are determined to make sure Levi is remembered and that his story can help other children.
That is at the heart of Livin 4 Levi.
Local clubs Levi proudly represented have come together to honour his memory and raise funds for childhood brain cancer research.
The initiative encourages people to donate an amount matching their age, making it something families and children can be part of. Together, the community has already raised more than $60,000.
Luke and Natalie have seen first-hand how important research is. Levi was unable to access a clinical trial, highlighting the need for greater research into DIPG and better treatment options for children.
This is what makes our community so special. From Levi’s sporting clubs and teammates to his school, friends and neighbours, people have rallied around the family and turned their grief into an incredible show of support.
Luke and Natalie want to make Livin 4 Levi an annual event, bringing sporting clubs across our community together to remember Levi and raise funds for research.
I am incredibly honoured to stand alongside them as an ambassador.
Levi may no longer be on the sporting fields he loved, but through Livin 4 Levi, his name, spirit and love of sport can continue to make a difference.
If you would like to support Livin 4 Levi and help fund childhood cancer research, you can donate here: https://www.ccia.org.au/event/levi-roodenburg/donate
