Townsville Chiefs and Brothers Rugby League groups donate presents to Townsville University Hospital’s children’s ward

Julia Creek’s Lawson White, 3, was supposed to be on Magnetic Island. He’s in the local hospital instead during the Christmas holidays, along with 26 other children.

Three-year-old Julia Creek boy Lawson White has been spending his Christmas holiday on the coast in the children’s ward of the Townsville University Hospital, instead of on Magnetic Island with the family.

The “real little country boy”, as his mother describes him, has been needing some Christmas cheer following another round of surgery.

And then, out of the blue, Lawson was overloaded with toy trucks, a dinosaur, and a Hot Wheels racetrack when a bunch of local football team members visited the children’s ward stacked with presents.

Townsville Chiefs and Brothers Rugby League members visited the ward with $5000 worth of gifts which they eagerly donated to 27 children aged from as young as 13 days old, to 15-years-old.

It required a taskforce to distribute the piles of toys which included Batmobiles, Star Wars figurines, helicopters and nerf guns, and they left many aside in case of unexpected visitors during the Christmas season.

Julia Creek's Lawson White, 3, and his mother Amanda Stevens receives surprise Christmas cheer while they stay at the Townsville University Hospital children's ward. Townsville Chiefs Rugby League member Tane Hutana, Brothers Rugby League member Mitch Doyle, and Herbert MP Phillip Thompson bring presents as part of an annual Christmas visit to the hospital.

Lawson’s mother, Amanda Stevens, said the gifts were exactly what he had wanted, especially the red monster truck which he had been hinting for.

“Anything with wheels, motorbikes, and those sorts of things, he’s really into his earthmoving equipment,” she said.

“He would have been very overwhelmed, he’s taking it all in that’s for sure.

“It doesn’t happen every day.”

But being at the hospital for surgery was “not his first rodeo.”

This was Lawson’s fifth visit to the Townsville hospital, because of the pressure caused by build-up of fluid in his head, which had happened again while on Magnetic Island.

They aimed to have checked out on Saturday just in time for their drive back to Julia Creek, 650kms south west of Townsville.

Townsville Chiefs Rugby League member Tane Hutana said the community groups had organised a toy run for several years, and although he had been a part of the fundraising for several years, this was the first occasion he was in the hospital halls delivering the presents.

“I’ve had my son recently in hospital, and I’ve spent time in hospital myself over Christmas, Mr Hutana said.

“We know it’s a pretty significant time for families.

“It’s stressful not only for the families but the children, and being away from home and being stuck in hospital.

“It means a lot, you know, to have it being recognised as such, and presents that are coming towards them.”

Herbert MP Phillip Thompson was among those who donated presents.

He downplayed his ability out on the field but emphasised the importance of the donations, which he said was about “bringing joy to some little faces.”

“We hope to take the pressure off their families at this time too,” he said.

Northern Airconditioning director Michael Parker-Walshe said it could be “pretty confronting” visiting the hospital to donate presents, and seeing the difficult situations that families were experiencing.

“You can sort of tell the ones that aren’t probably here for the long-haul type thing, and the ones that are on the verge of getting out, and they get a couple of presents, and that brings them up, and you can see the joy on their face,” Mr Parker-Walshe said.

“We will be doing it for as long as we can.”

Originally published as Townsville Chiefs and Brothers Rugby League groups donate presents to Townsville University Hospital’s children’s ward