Perth's Telethon 2026 breaks records with moving stories

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 24 Oct, 19:44 · Archive

Western Australia's Telethon fundraiser for 2026 has set a record, featuring stories that moved donors to contribute.

Telethon 2026 in Western Australia set a record for fundraising, marked by stories that moved attendees and showcased acts of kindness.

At Saturday's Telethon brunch, Perth mother Pamela Campbell shared her story of her son Callum, who died from leukaemia in June 2021 at age five. Callum spent 350 nights in hospital and underwent chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant and two devastating relapses over two and a half years before his death.

Campbell revealed that watching the television soap opera Home And Away at 7pm each evening on the hospital ward became a survival strategy. 'It signified that we had gotten through the day and I was ready to face the night,' she explained. The 30-minute programme provided an escape from her reality during the most difficult period of her life.

After Campbell's speech, Home And Away cast members present in Perth embraced her on stage. Seven subsequently offered to fly Campbell and her family to Sydney to visit the show's set, describing it as a gesture to honour the programme that had sustained her through her family's darkest chapter.

How it is being reported

• Adrian Barich: Why record-breaking Telethon 2026 was WA at its very bestFrom heartbreakingly moving stories to a television moment for the history books, this year’s weekend reminded us of the life-changing power of a simple act of kindness.The West Australian · 24 Oct, 19:00
• Adrian Barich: Why record-breaking Telethon 2026 was WA at its very bestFrom heartbreakingly moving stories to a television moment for the history books, this year’s weekend reminded us of the life-changing power of a simple act of kindness.Perth Now · 24 Oct, 19:00

In this story: Pamela Campbell · Callum · Western Australia · Home And Away · Seven

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