Partnership with Ponting Foundation to support Tasmanian children with cancer
Young Tasmanians, like Mia Bramich who was diagnosed with leukaemia last year, are set to have more support after Ricky Ponting’s foundation strikes a new partnership.
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One of Tasmania’s greatest cricketers, Ricky Ponting, has just made one of this best partnerships yet — in a move that will help sick children like eight-year-old Mia Bramich.
The Hobart Hurricanes launched a new campaign for the Ponting Foundation, that will raise funds for young Tasmanians with cancer, in partnership with Cricket Tasmania and the Tasmanian government.
Mia from Stowport was diagnosed with leukaemia after repeatedly falling ill before her gymnastics lessons in March last year.
Her and mum Casey Coventry have spent most of their time since then at Ronald McDonald House in Hobart.
Mia’s Dad had also been staying with the family in Hobart but had to return to work up on the North West in August. Mia’s 10-year-old brother has been staying at his grandparents house in order to maintain “somewhat of a normal routine”, Ms Coventry said.
“It has been difficult but we have all been very positive and now we are getting to the end where we get to spend more time at home,” Ms Coventry said.
Along with gymnastics, Mia loves to dance and ride her motorbike and was all smiles when the Hobart Hurricanes stopped into the pediatric oncology ward with Ponting and goodie bags filled with BBL merchandise.
Another excited to see his cricketing heroes at the Royal Hobart Hospital was 17-year-old Coby Stocks, who was in charge of tossing the bat at the start of Friday’s Hurricanes victory over Thunder.
The game launched a new campaign raising funds for the Ponting Foundation that will help young Tasmanians with cancer and their families.
Last year, the Guilford Young College student noticed one of his testicles was misshapened. He didn’t think too much of it until his swimming coach urged him to go to the hospital and have it looked at.
Six-hours later the 17-year-old was diagnosed with stage four testicular cancer.
“I had to do a bunch of scans,” Coby said.
“They pushed me forward to do it, so I could have had to go home and wait a couple days, but they pushed me ahead and I found out that it was stage four cancer.”
Coby was diagnosed on February 4, 2024 and underwent months of treatment including chemotherapy and surgery in Melbourne in June.
“Then I came back and got my port site removed and I was done, so I’m just on observation now,” he said.
He said despite being one of the oldest people on the pediatric oncology ward he couldn’t have asked for better care.
The sports fan was unable to join any of his favourite school sports teams last year — apart from the victorious swimming team — due to treatment.
Ponting Foundation co-founder Ricky Ponting said the money raised during the campaign would go a long way to “helping the families and these young children through the toughest phase of their lives”.
Tasmania’s health minister Jacquie Petrusma said the Tasmanian government looked forward to working with the Ponting Foundation and Cricket Tasmania for this exciting new partnership which will become an annual fixture in the sporting calendar.
“Funds raised from the campaign will support families who have a child diagnosed with cancer from across the state, from Smithton to Dover and Queenstown to Bicheno,” she said.
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Originally published as Partnership with Ponting Foundation to support Tasmanian children with cancer
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