Media Release

Fantasea Delivers Wish to See Great Barrier Reef

5th December 2007

Because visiting the Great Barrier Reef is something most Australians want to do, Fantasea Adventure Cruising receives many requests from organisations such as Make A Wish and the Starlight Foundation. Fantasea is more than happy to host these children and families and the whole Fantasea crew makes sure it is a really special day for everyone involved.

Last Wednesday Fantasea hosted two families at Reefworld, one from Starlight and one from Make a Wish. Kaitlin Duffas was diagnosed with Hodgson disease and is currently in remission. Her wish was to take her family to the Great Barrier Reef and she was joined by her parents and brother for a great day out. The Fantasea host, Heather, organised a guided snorkel tour and a scenic helicopter flight courtesy of AVTA for Kaitlin and her brother.

Little Daniel Keenan is only six and his wish was also to see the Great Barrier Reef. He travelled with his mum and dad and three sisters aged two, five and nine. Daniel went with his mum on an AVTA scenic helicopter flight and also enjoyed a snorkel tour with his parents and two sisters while the youngest one slept soundly in Club Seahorse! Daniel’s mum Rachel said, “snorkelling with Jacquie was the highlight of our holiday.” Daniel has Ewings Sarcoma which is a progressive bone cancer and only last year was in a wheelchair for months after bone transplants on both legs. Daniel is currently in remission but will not have the ‘all-clear’ for at least another four years.

Some families who join the Fantasea day at Reefworld are doing so to make their child’s last wishes come true in what little time they have left together. These days are very hard. Last week we saw two families celebrating life and the hope of a positive and fulfilling future.