No child or their family should miss out on the simple joys of childhood – celebrating birthdays, feeling the sun on their face, or sharing a moment of peace together.
For Cameron McCallum, the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at John Hunter Hospital became home for 465 days. Diagnosed with high-risk B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia on 22 July 2022, Cameron faced an unimaginable journey, battling life-threatening complications while his family navigated the constant fear, uncertainty, and exhaustion that comes with having a child in intensive care.
“Technically, PICU is where the sickest children in the hospital are treated,” says Cameron’s mum, Ann. “But for us, it was home for 16 long months. We celebrated small wins, mourned losses, and faced every terrifying moment together, supported by the most incredible team of doctors, nurses, and staff.”
Cameron endured numerous challenges, including steroid-induced diabetes, liver failure, fluid overload, blood clots, severe mucositis, and multiple organ complications. He spent 391 days with a tracheostomy and 424 days ventilator-reliant, undergoing countless procedures and surgeries along the way. “We were told nine times that Cameron could die,” Ann recalls. “Each time, the PICU team supported us with honesty, kindness, and unwavering dedication.”
Throughout this journey, the simple acts of stepping outside, feeling the breeze, or seeing a familiar face provided Cameron and his family with priceless moments of comfort. The current PICU porch became a sanctuary – a place to cry, laugh, console, and find hope amid the chaos. Cameron even celebrated his 16th birthday, Halloween, and Christmas in this small outdoor space, creating memories in the midst of treatment.
The family’s beloved cat, Fred, also became part of this journey, visiting Cameron in PICU and providing connection to the life he knew outside the hospital. “Visits from family, friends, and even our pets helped Cameron feel grounded,” Ann says. “These moments were vital to his recovery and emotional well-being.”
The new PICU Courtyard, funded through initiatives like Sleap Walk, will give families a safe, peaceful, and culturally sensitive space to breathe, debrief, celebrate milestones, and find comfort during the hardest times. It will allow children like Cameron to reconnect with the simple joys of life, even while facing the most serious illness imaginable.
“Imagine bright lights, beeping machines, and the constant stress of intensive care,” Ann says. “Now imagine stepping outside into a garden, feeling the breeze, hearing birds, smelling fresh air. It gives you the strength to go back inside and face what you have to. That courtyard will be a lifeline for families like ours – a place to celebrate, mourn, and find hope.”
Funds raised through Sleap Walk help maintain the PICU Courtyard, ensuring future families will always have a beautiful space to find comfort, breathe fresh air, and hold onto hope during their darkest days.