There may be uncertainty around when Fremantle’s next Starlight Purple Haze Game will be held, but eight-year-old Rohan Lord is ready and waiting as the club’s next Starlight Star.
The young Central Coast boy has been flying the flag for Freo in NSW as one of the club’s most passionate fans, but he was dealt a blow when he was diagnosed for Burkitt's Lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer, in November.
With the help of Starlight, who work to brighten the lives of seriously ill children and their families, Rohan was able to bravely battle the cancer.
Rohan hit an important milestone on Friday 1 May, a day that happened to be Starlight Day, as he received his final oral treatment.
While there is no set date for Fremantle’s next Starlight Purple Haze Game, the club is committed to holding the special round when fans are next allowed to attend a game at Optus Stadium.
And the club is also committed to ensuring that Rohan will be there with the boys.
“I’m going to go over to Fremantle and run out with Nat Fyfe, be the VIP and meet all the players,” Rohan told Channel 9 news.
Freo star Michael Walters sent Rohan a special message.
“All the boys at the footy club can’t wait to meet you,” Walters said.
“And I know that as soon as games start rolling around and crowds are allowed in, you’ll be there front and centre, I can guarantee you that!”
Rohan’s mum Kate said the day would be a special one for the passionate Freo family.
“An eight-year-old to go through what he did was pretty traumatic,” Kate said.
“To come out of this at the end with something really special he’ll remember is just amazing.”
Fremantle and the club’s members and supporters generously raised $205,804 for Starlight in 2019, bringing the total amount of money raised to more than $1.5 million since 2003.
