General News
26 February, 2026
Terang rallies behind Ollie following Leukemia diagnosis
THE community has rallied around Terang’s Ollie Thomas after the decision to seek treatment on a small rash led to the the six-year-old being diagnosed with Leukaemia.
Seeing their son happily running around and playing with family and friends over the Christmas holidays, parents Jacqui and Terry Thomas would have never imagined their bubbly first born was battling Mixed-Phenotype Acute Leukemia – a rare and aggressive cancer which represents less than five per cent of all cases.
The warning signs for the family were almost non-existent.
“He had a rash – it didn’t look bad or angry, just a bit dotty around his chest and back around Christmas time,” Jacqui said.
“We couldn’t get into the doctors on Christmas Eve but he wasn’t complaining, so we figured we would watch and wait.
“After all the Christmas stuff was over we were on our way to the beach one day but we thought we might pop into the emergency room and get it checked.
“We were triaged pretty low because it was just a small rash with an otherwise healthy kid jumping around the emergency room.
“I felt sort of ridiculous even being there but we felt that sort of vibe that something was off.”
Jacqui and Terry had trusted their intuition, unwilling to wait longer while allowing the Christmas rush to pass, but it wasn’t long before they realised something was wrong.
“He got checked out there and they recommended a blood test before the end of the day, so we went straight to the hospital because it was the only place we could get a blood test done,” he said.
“It was about five hours before we could get it all done, with an hour for the results and it all just unfolded from there.
“The red flags were raised pretty quick.”
What had begun as a simple trip to the beach for the young family had become their worst nightmare.
At the point of admission, Ollie had 95 per cent Leukemia in his bone marrow.
“After that they said they would be flying him down to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne,” Terry said.
“We stayed there for the night while he was put on an IV drip for fluids – Jacqui and Ollie got a flight down the Royal Children’s Hospital while I drove.
“Ollie hasn’t been home since – we’re pretty much still on our way to the beach.”
The process of undergoing chemotherapy began immediately, which required the family to make an overnight move to Melbourne for treatment which prevents them from straying too far.
“He on pretty heavy chemo right now – they said it’ll be about ten months right near the hospital, and then over the next three years he’s got to have more stuff and slowly – hopefully – be able to get back home,” Jacqui said.
“Pretty much for the whole year, he has to stay within an hour of the hospital.
“We’ve just had 15 days straight of daily chemo and we’re back again tomorrow (Friday, January 27) for more.”
Ollie now faces a lengthy road to recovery while the family put their lives on pause to remain by his side.
“We’ve had our second-born (Piper) back home while this is happening – she’s staying with Jacqui’s mum and dad (Laurie and Bernadette Heffernan) before she can come down with us,” Terry said.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support the Thomas family in their relocation to Melbourne while Ollie undergoes chemotherapy.
The GoFundMe has raised more than $22,300 since being launched earlier this week, in what Jacqui and Terry called an incredible display of support.
“It’s been overwhelming,” Jacqui said.
“People you don’t even realise know Ollie or us that well have wished us all the best.
“It’s been really nice because it makes us feel still connected to back home – being down here, it is pretty isolated to just us and it needs to stay that way because that’s what’s required.”
The funds will support the family throughout the process, but early indications are positive with Ollie responding well to the treatment.
“The first phase, the induction phase, is a whole month of really intense chemo and steroids – a whole lot of medicines too – which then fight the side effects of the other medications such as anti-nausea and stomach protection,” Terry said.
“Ollie is through the first phase and has been responsive to the chemotherapy, and now enters a phase of trying to eradicate the cancer.
“He’ll undergo more testing in April to assess if the cancer has been killed off, before potentially progressing to the next phase.
“They’re very confident with different paths which can be taken depending on different numbers in the results.
“The figures show certain things which lead us to plans A, B, C, D, E, etc – we don’t know what paths we go down, we just go down them as they come.”
While the process remains daunting, Jacqui and Terry could not be prouder of their son, who Terry said has “managed everything like a champ”.
Not every moment is brave – the endless array of testing and treatment is overwhelming for adults, let alone a six-year-old – but Ollie has showcased unimaginable courage even in the moments which aren’t highlights.
“He’s enduring things which are terrifying to a six-year-old like blood tests, finger-prick tests, lumbar punctures and bone-marrow biopsies,” Jacqui said.
“These things are scary to adults and you’re expecting a six-year-old to go along with it.
“Every week or two he goes under general anaesthetic for more lumbar punctures and they put chemo in while they’re there.”
While the family cannot put into words their appreciation for those who have donated to the GoFundMe, they are equally thankful for anyone who takes the time to do the little things which make a big difference, such as raising awareness or giving blood.
The hope for Ollie is the cancer can be eradicated – that once it is gone, it’s gone – but the experience has opened Terry and Jacqui’s eyes to just how many families go through this process.
“There is lots of different ways people can help such as donating blood,” Jacqui said.
“You don’t realise – I thought blood transfusions were more for if someone is bleeding out in surgery, not necessarily little kids who are going through chemo.”
To support Ollie and the Thomas family visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/ollies-road-to-recovery-wugx4.
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