Rebecca Buckland and her husband started their campaign after their son Harry was diagnosed with cancer. Photo: Melinda Jones.
Like many kids his age, four-year-old Harry is a big fan of LEGO and spends a lot of time playing games on his Nintendo Switch.
But at the moment, he’s in a Sydney hospital being treated for neuroblastoma, a kind of cancer that starts in immature nerve cells.
His mum, Rebecca Buckland, says his December 2024 diagnosis turned their lives upside down.
“We were living in the world that most people live in, which is quite oblivious to the world of paediatric oncology and what that looks like and how treatment looks,” she says.
As part of Harry’s treatment, he’s needed eight rounds of chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant, a feeding tube and other treatments.
Tom says the importance of the humble blood donation quickly became clear to Harry’s parents.
“Every blood bag he needs is life-saving. It turns his blood count around … The blood bags help his hemoglobin and general health,” he says of his son’s treatment.
In May, the Bucklands started a challenge: to get 100 people to join the ‘Harry B’s Heroes’ Lifeblood team to raise awareness of how important blood donations are in treating childhood cancer (but above all, to increase donations of whole blood, platelets and plasma).
“It’s one of those things that we’re able to do while we’re in this, and it gives us a bit of purpose,” Rebecca says.
“It helps us feel a bit better about the journey that Harry is on, and knowing that there is good coming from this journey that he’s on.”
Four-year-old Harry is fighting a big battle, but there are people willing to help. Photo: Rebecca Buckland.
When people donate through the Australian Red Cross, they can join a team and have their donations recorded.
While the Bucklands’ goal was 100 people on the team by the end of 2025, they’ve already reached more than 80 overall donations. According to the Australian Red Cross, that could save more than 350 lives.
It’s a response neither Rebecca nor Tom was expecting.
“I knew that people would want to help, but not people that we don’t know,” Rebecca says.
“I just didn’t know that there would be so many strangers, so quick and willing to put their hand up and respond, which is a really beautiful thing that comes from a tragic situation.”
The diagnosis means Rebecca and Tom are dividing their time between Sydney (staying at the Ronald McDonald House) and Canberra (to spend time with Harry’s siblings).
He says Harry is “doing really well – he’s as energetic as we’ve seen him” as he heads into another bone marrow transplant later this month.
“He’s quite comfortable having, to a certain extent, doctors and nurses poking and prodding and doing scans and things like that – whatever he needs for his treatment protocol,” he says.
Tom says family support and staff at the Ronald McDonald House mean they can focus on getting through what he calls a “hell of a journey”.
“We’d love to all be together, but [the time apart means] we’ve got stability for [Harry’s siblings] in their home and school environment, and the best possible care we can get for Harry right here,” he says.
Donors can join Harry B’s Heroes team by searching through their Lifeblood account. To check your eligibility to donate blood or learn more about donating, visit Lifeblood.
