Blake was an eight-year-old who filled every room with boundless energy and joy. To his grandparents and guardians, Janelle and Ken, Blake wasn’t just their grandson, he was their whole world. Whether he was drawing his favourite Sonic characters, playing football, or dreaming of becoming a pilot, Blake lived his short life with a heart full of love and a spirit full of adventure.

“He was full-on,” Janelle recalls with a smile. “Cheeky and mischievous, always playing tricks on us. We called him Dennis the Menace. But he was so loving, he was a very cuddly kid, and he filled our lives with joy.”

Blake’s dreams were as big as his personality. “He wanted to be a pilot when he grew up,” Janelle says. “He never got the chance to do that, but he has his own wings now.”

Blake’s life took an unimaginable turn in early 2021 when his grandparents began noticing bruises on his legs. Next came a loss of appetite.

“He kept saying he was cold, even though it was a stinking hot day,” she remembers. “I just knew something wasn’t right.”

He had a blood test on 5 February 2021, and that very night, they were rushed to Wollongong Hospital. By 4am the next day, they had arrived at Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, for treatment and what had begun as small concerns quickly turned into devastating news: Blake had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

The charismatic, sport-mad eight-year-old was at school hanging out with his friends one day and in hospital fighting for his life the next. 

Blake endured chemotherapy, spinal taps, and a bone marrow transplant with remarkable courage. Through it all, Janelle and Ken were by his side and through the highs and lows, his infectious personality shone.  

On 13 June 2021, Blake celebrated his 9th birthday in hospital, inviting all the doctors and nurses and his friends from the ward to his Sonic-themed party. That was Blake, bringing joy even during the darkest times. 

On 9 August 2021, Blake passed away, just six months after his diagnosis. It was a loss that shook his family and community to the core. COVID restrictions meant only 10 people could attend his funeral, but Blake’s football teammates lined the streets in their jerseys, giving him the hero’s farewell he deserved. 

The community rallied around Blake and his family in ways they never could have imagined. “His teacher called me and said, ‘What’s Blake’s favourite colour?’ and of course I said, ‘Sonic blue’, and so ‘Blue for Blake Day’ was born. Even after he passed, they’ve done it every year, donating the money to help kids like Blake.” 

His football team organised barbecues and GoFundMe campaigns, ensuring Blake knew how much he was loved. Even after his passing, the love didn’t stop. His school created a memorial garden, where his friends planted flowers in his honour, his team have an annual trophy in his memory and his art lives on in Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation’s projects, brightening the Intensive Care Unit and inspiring anyone who sees it. 

“It’s an honour to see his drawings used this way,” Janelle says. “It overwhelms me, the things people have done for Blake, for a child so young.” 

Blake’s story is a reminder of why we fight, for better treatments, for cures, and for hope. Sydney Children’s Hospitals Foundation is dedicated to this mission, but we can’t do it alone. Every donation can help change the future for sick kids.  

We ran out of time to save Blake, but together, we can fight so that no other family has to say goodbye too soon. Let’s honour Blake’s memory by fighting for a future where every child gets the chance to grow up and chase their dreams.  

Donate today because together, we can change the future for sick kids.