12-year-old Nathaniel Love has a dream of eating a chocolate doughnut on the beach after leaving the hospital
An Adelaide boy who lost his mother, has lived in foster care, and is now facing the toughest fight of his life is holding onto one sweet dream he hopes to fulfil once he leaves hospital.
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Some boys dream of being a footy player, while others may dream of becoming a pilot.
But for 12-year-old Adelaide’s Nathaniel ‘DonDon’ Love, he only wants to enjoy eating a chocolate doughnut on the beach.
Growing up in foster care, Nathaniel was diagnosed with leukaemia in February after waking up with an “extremely swollen face”.
He is currently in remission after undergoing a bone-marrow transplant and chemotherapy in Sydney.
The devastating news came not long after his mother had passed away from a sudden heart attack in May 2024.
His older brother, Ethan, 35, who quit his job and has been by his brother’s side since his diagnosis, told The Advertiser that he’s had to make hard decisions as Nathaniel’s sole carer.
“It’s been a bit of a roller coaster ride just seeing (Nathaniel) obviously go through it, but I kind of feed off his energy and the way he goes day-by-day,” he said.
“His bravery inspires me the most, he’s such a soldier”
“Sometimes it makes me feel like I’m the 12-year-old and he’s the grown one.”
Ethan is the oldest of the eight children and has made it his mission to give Nathaniel, the youngest of the family, the childhood he’s never had.
“He’s had a tough life,” Ethan said.
“He lost his mum a year ago, was in foster care, and never had his own room.
“I just want him to have the things he’s missed out on.”
Among them include gorging on a doughnut on Bondi Beach, once Nathaniel gets the green light to leave the hospital.
“A chocolate doughnut is his favourite food,” Ethan said.
“He just wants to enjoy it properly on the beach because obviously when you’re on the beach, it’s going to be like freedom, really.”
Nathaniel’s story also made traction after Kyle Hunt, a Melbourne influencer, began chipping in to support the 12-year-old’s medical treatment.
For Mr Hunt, helping Nathaniel was not charity — it was personal.
Having grown up in foster care himself, Mr Hunt understood the uphill battle children like Nathaniel faced.
“You’re just honestly in a really sh*t spot if you’re in foster care and mixing that with leukaemia,” he said.
“I couldn’t imagine going through both those, so I wanted to hopefully play a role in getting him out of that.”
Mr Hunt, much like Ethan, also wants to see Nathaniel get to experience the childhood he missed out on.
“(Nathaniel’s) a bit shy at first but he’s actually pretty funny, cracking some jokes”
“He’s a kid, he should have at least some money to help him live a little bit more than what he’s been able to.”
You can continue to support Nathaniel in his recovery here.
Originally published as 12-year-old Nathaniel Love has a dream of eating a chocolate doughnut on the beach after leaving the hospital
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