On Thursday, May 15th at 8:16 PM, Zayne’s family’s world stopped—and changed in an instant. For weeks, Zayne had been dealing with ongoing “viral” symptoms: a clear runny nose, a constant cough, extreme tiredness, leg aches, and bruising that wasn’t fading—only getting darker. He had been taken to the GP several times and had three PCR tests, all of which came back negative. Still, something didn’t feel right. Zayne had lost weight, and his need for sleep kept increasing. He didn’t seem “sick” in the typical way—just very off.

His family asked the GP for a blood test and explained the persistent symptoms. The GP reluctantly agreed, and Zayne had bloodwork done that same morning at 10:00 AM. That night at 8:16 PM, just after Zayne had been put to bed, his family noticed two missed calls and voicemails. As they pressed play to listen, the phone rang again. The caller introduced himself as being from the pathology lab. He confirmed Zayne’s details, but the tone of his voice immediately made their stomach drop. He explained that Zayne’s blood results were acute—his hemoglobin (HB) was 54, and his white cells were attacking his red cells.

When his family asked him to explain it plainly, he said the words they will never forget: “acute leukemia.” In that moment, everything collapsed. He told them to get to John Hunter Children’s Hospital immediately—and that a team would be waiting.

From then on, life became a blur. Zayne’s dad, Matt, who lived and worked in Victoria, was called and told to come home immediately. Zayne was lifted from his bed, bags were thrown together in minutes, and family members rallied around them to get to the hospital as fast as possible.

By midday, the diagnosis was confirmed: high-risk Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Zayne’s little body was 87% full of leukemia, and doctors said he had less than three weeks to live unless chemotherapy began immediately.

And so, that same day, Zayne’s fight began.

The oncology department at John Hunter moved swiftly, coordinating a full care team—oncology specialists and doctors, nurses, dieticians, psychologists, play therapists, social workers, and their CNC—everyone stepping into action at once. Zayne’s family was shattered and terrified, but there was no choice but to fight. It truly felt like do or die. The alternative was not an option.

Zayne started chemotherapy that very day—and it has been far from easy.

His high-risk treatment has been incredibly hard on his small body and, at times, debilitating. It has meant long hospital stays, lingering illnesses, countless high temperatures, liver complications that caused his eyes to turn yellow, and a central line infection. Chemotherapy also brought additional serious illnesses, including a fungal infection in his lungs that put him at high risk of losing his life.

Zayne spent 8.5 weeks in hospital continuously, spanning the end of his first round of chemotherapy and all through his second. It took 10 weeks for his body to clear rhinovirus and enterovirus, which lingered because his immune system simply couldn’t fight them off.

He has endured countless general anaesthetics, several CT scans, a PET scan, ultrasounds, X-rays, blood and platelet transfusions, and ongoing skin reactions. He has also developed asthma. As a result of chemotherapy, the medications used to treat the fungal infection, and increased sensitivity to the sun, Zayne has struggled with painful burns on his arms, face, neck, and hands. With his current chemotherapy protocol, every time he receives high-dose methotrexate, his skin flares again—sometimes mildly, sometimes severely.

And still, treatment continues—because the end goal is clear: keeping Zayne safe, healthy, and giving him every chance to win this fight.

Zayne is the youngest of four children, and the distance has been incredibly hard on the whole family. His siblings miss their mum and their brother deeply. Zayne has two brothers—Tanner (5) and Colt (7)—and a big sister, Ruby (14). He idolizes them. When he’s away, he counts down the days, hours, and minutes until he can see them again. They are his biggest supporters—laughing with him, crying with him, and always looking out for him.

So much has changed. The hospital has become a second home, and Zayne’s nurses and care team have become like family. They have held him through the worst days and laughed with him on the best. They make space for the hard moments, and they help create reasons to smile, even when life feels heavy. To Zayne’s family, they are truly angels on earth.

And through it all, Zayne remains unmistakably Zayne: bright, loving, clever, caring, quick-witted, thoughtful, sassy, and cheeky—a busy, chaotic little boy who loves monster trucks and his favorite superhero, Spider-Man. He makes friends wherever he goes and spreads both love and chaos in the best way. He finds ways to keep a sense of control—whether that means riding his scooter to treatment or playing harmless pranks on his nurses. He’s always up for a laugh, and he finds real joy in making other people happy.

What makes Zayne mighty

What makes Zayne mighty is more than the fight he’s facing—it’s who he is in the middle of it. Zayne is kind, loving, thoughtful, and caring. He’s wild, full of life, and incredibly brave. He faces every obstacle head-on, and even on his hardest days, he still finds ways to sprinkle kindness and laughter wherever he goes.

Zayne’s fight has only just begun, but his strength, determination, and mighty heart amaze us every single day. 🧡

If you would like to follow Zayne’s story, click this link: FOLLOW ZAYNE’S STORY HERE
If you would like to donate directly to Zayne’s family, click here: DONATE TO THE FAMILY HERE.