The 500km journey the peloton will undertake on Ride for Sick Kids WA 2025 is just a fraction of the distance many regional WA families need to travel when a child requires medical treatment in Perth.
For Ayla and her then 5-year-old daughter Rosie, it was over 800km from their hometown of Leonora in the Goldfields region to Perth, where Rosie was diagnosed with High-Risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in late 2022.
"I quickly went home and packed a bag with a couple of changes of clothes, drove to Kalgoorlie, and then never went home again" – Ayla, Rosie's mum.
Fast-forward to October 2024, Ayla and Rosie still haven't returned home and for over 650 nights (and counting) they have called RMHC WA their home away from home.
"I don't even know how we would be functioning without it. I don’t know if we would've been able to find somewhere to live and I don't know if mentally I would be in the same place.” Ayla says.
The entire family has had to adjust to a new normal. Ayla's husband Ben is still based in Leonora where Rosie's twin sister Cassie and brother Raiden are in school, and he works to keep the family financially afloat.
Despite monthly visits, spending time apart from Cassie and Raiden has been particularly difficult for Ayla. But when they do come to visit, RMHC WA provides a space for them to soak up much-needed quality time and focus on what's most important – being together.
With no fee-free accommodation options in Kalgoorlie, Rosie's doctors are concerned that the 2.5-hour drive from Leonora to the nearest hospital is too far from adequate medical support.
So, for now, Ayla and Rosie must remain close to Perth Children's Hospital.
Their journey may be far from over but despite the uncertainty that lies ahead, there's one thing they know for sure; RMHC WA will always be there for them for as long and as often as they need it.
It's through your support of Ride for Sick Kids WA that RMHC WA can continue to support families like the Wheelers' as they go through the toughest times of their lives.
WA’s Ride for Sick Kids has raised more than $3.8 million over the last 12 years. In 2025, we embark on our 13th ride to raise funds for WA families with sick kids.
