Telethon’s Giving Celebration reveals 147 beneficiaries making West Australian kids’ lives better

Preeti Raghwami stood on the same stage four years ago, making a promise to her daughter she lost to a rare disease that she would help change one life at a time.

Now, at Telethon’s Giving Celebration breakfast on Wednesday, she is fulfilling that promise with just months to go until she graduates with a medical degree in the hopes of supporting children like her daughter Ziya.

Little Ziya passed away two months shy of her second birthday due to a life-limiting condition called mitochondrial disease, which causes a long list of health issues including seizures.

“It was in the moments that led to her death, I made her a promise that I’m going to help change one life at a time,” Ms Raghwami said.

“Now, four years into my course, I’m finishing up later this year and I’m finally fulfilling my promise to her — that feels really special to be able to say I did it and what a full circle moment.

“For me, every time I walk into a patient interaction, every time I walk into that vulnerable space for kids, that’s where she is. I’ve been on the other side of the bedside and now I get to be on this side and tell her story.”

If the 750-strong crowd at Crown Perth on Wednesday didn’t have tears welling in their eyes already they definitely did when Ms Raghwami’s eldest daughter Mahi stood up to say she was “very, very proud of my mummy”.

“When I grow up, I want to be a scientist so I can find a cure for all diseases, not just my sister’s, but I also want to change one life at a time like my mum always says,” she said.

“I’ll be a dynamic duo with my mum.”

Ms Raghwami was just one of the hundreds of inspiring people at the Giving Celebration, where the 147 charities and 297 grants that will benefit from the funding were revealed.

The record $90.16 million raised at the 2025 Telethon will fund 199 programs, 3044 pieces of equipment, 38 research grants, and a further 60 equipment grants.

Representatives from each of the beneficiaries attended the celebrations alongside dignitaries including Telethon trustee Kerry Stokes AC, Telethon chairman Richard Goyder and Premier Roger Cook.

Mr Stokes said Telethon “always gets better”

“Everything we raise, we donate. It goes to real people doing real things,” he said.

“It’s a good formula.”

It was the West Aussie kids in the room, who have endured more than any child should, that showed what Telethon is truly about.

Youngsters like George Olsen, who was still sporting a beanie as he had lost his hair to chemo, when he read out his poem at Telethon last year.

“The sun shines bright, we can’t always be right. Some days are bad, and this can be sad. Things can go wrong, but the show goes on. We’re incredible together, Telethon forever,” he read out at Telethon.

The 12-year-old was only a week in remission when he wrote that poem but he is now more than six months cancer free.

“I had to go through six months, 12 rounds of chemotherapy, and I remember the date in the back of my head — I finished the 16th of September last year,” George said.

“Your life just goes into a downward spin but when I was in hospital the only way that you can go is up and when you finish you just get a warm feeling inside you and you think, ‘OK I did that, I fought cancer’.”

The crowd also heard from 18-year-old Josh Patrick who, similar to Preeti, was inspired to study medicine after caring for his sister Charlotte.

Charlotte, 12, has multiple medical issues including cerebral palsy, pulmonary hypoplasia, a seizure disorder, intellectual disability and non-verbal autism.

Mr Patrick is now in his first year of studying medicine at the University of Western Australia.

“A lot of what has supported Charlotte through her life has been new technologies and different programs that have supported people with undiagnosed diseases,” he said.

“Going into research for young people with these conditions is really what I want to do with my future.”

It wouldn’t be a Giving Celebration without hearing from Little Telethon Stars Paige McIllree, Xavier Summers, Jordan Blair, and Izzy Miller.

Being on stage was an extra special moment for Izzy, who celebrated being cancer free by ringing the bell at Perth Children’s Hospital just last week.

“When I rang the bell it nearly made me cry,” the five-year-old said.

It’s often the fun moments of Telethon that stick in West Australians minds and Jordan signing Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody alongside Rob ‘Millsy’ Mills was one of those times.

The audience was lucky enough to hear another rendition with Jordan singing the tune alongside the Aquinas College choir, which was met with a standing ovation from the large crowd.

Emily Barlow was surprised with the Kindness Award for her dedication to baking cookies to raise funds for Telethon every year.

The 13-year-old, who has bilateral spastic diplegia cerebral palsy, has raised $15,000 for Telethon through her bake sales.

She even made more than 700 cookies for attendees at the event.

Mr Goyder said the impact of Telethon isn’t told through numbers but through parents and families.

“I woke up this morning and I thought this is one of the great days of the year and I got out of bed very early this morning, full of life and vigour, because of what today means for the community of WA,” he said.

“When I stand here on behalf of the Telethon trustees and look out in the room, I’m just reminded of communities being built by people who care.

“People in the this room who show up, who understand that what we do for a child in a family ripples further than we ever know.”

Meanwhile, the Premier said the Giving Celebration was where “rubber really hits the road”.

“You see the 147 organisations receiving the money that everyone worked so hard to raise,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter where I travel, across the length and breadth of this State, you’ll always come across a clinician, a doctor, a nurse, an allied health professional, saying ‘the only reason why we’re doing this is because of Telethon’ and so it’s just such a great thing for our State.”

This year’s fundraising weekend is on October 17 and 18 at RAC Arena.

Since its inception in 1968, Telethon has raised more than $770 million.