Telethon 2026: Perth mother Pamela Campbell brings room to tears sharing grief of losing son to rare leukaemia

The deeply moving, yet profoundly heartbreaking words of Perth mother Pamela Campbell at Saturday’s Telethon breakfast event brought a full room to tears and has set the unforgettable tone for Telethon 2026.

Ms Campbell stood before hundreds of Telethon guests to share the story of her bright, cheeky, and brave little boy, Callum — who is “forever five”.

Diagnosed with a rare strain of acute myeloid leukaemia in 2019 at just two years old, Callum endured 350 nights in hospital — mostly in isolation — countless procedures, blood tests, bone marrow biopsies, multiple rounds of chemotherapy, and a bone marrow transplant.

After two and a half years of holding onto hope through periods of remission and the agony of two relapses, Callum’s body could fight no longer. He died in June 2021.

Ms Campbell spoke candidly about the suffocating silence that followed packing up Callum’s room at Perth Children’s Hospital and walking away — not only grieving her son, but also grieving the loss of the incredible medical team and support network who had become like family.

A poem she penned during late-night thoughts captured the raw reality of grief and hospital life. Reading it on Saturday moves attendees to tears.

“If I’m sad, be gentle. If I’m happy, laugh with me. If I’m scared, help show me the way... to you, this might be another shift, another family, another room filled with beeping machines. For me, this is my whole world,” she said.

“When my child is gone, please don’t forget their name. Say it, remember it, honour it. Remember them. Your care doesn’t end with their last breath. It carries on in me... meet me where I’m at.”

Ms Campbell explained how sharing Callum’s story helps her to keep his memory alive while also giving a voice to a wider community of bereaved families whose experiences are often less seen, but no less significant.

Memories are all they have now, she shared, emphasising that every parent wants their beautiful child remembered and their families supported through the ongoing heartache.

In an emotional and lighthearted highlight, Pamela revealed a surprising lifeline during their toughest nights on the ward was watching Home and Away every night at 7pm.

Episodes of the Channel 7 soap opera became their daily signpost of making it through another day, as well as an escape and a way to reset.

Her revelation prompted a rush of warm hugs on stage from the Home and Away cast members in attendance, Kyle Shilling, Hailey Pinto and Rocco Forrester-Sach, amid jokes that “at least she has good taste.”

Shortly after, Ms Campbell was surprised by the Seven Network with news she and her family will be flown to Sydney to visit the set of Home and Away and meet the cast.