Three of Perth’s most deserving little kids have officially been given superstar status.
Olivia, Aiden and Paige may be small, but they have huge personalities — and the trio were left speechless in front of their friends and family last week when they discovered they had been chosen as the 2026 Little Telethon Stars.
For seven-year-old Olivia Street, the surprise unfolded in front of her entire school, St Peter’s Primary School in Inglewood, during an assembly. The moment she heard her name announced as a Little Telethon Star, Olivia placed her two tiny hands over her mouth in shock.
She had been waiting to find out whether she had been chosen — and when the moment finally came, it was a dream come true.
“This is a good day,” Olivia said.
Olivia is a kind but determined little girl who loves listening to Taylor Swift, playing with make-up and spending time with her friends.
Despite the challenges she faces every day as a result of being born with collagen VI Myopathy and Scoliosis, she approaches life with remarkable resilience and a heart full of compassion.
“We were very proud of her,” her mum, Janelle, said.
Olivia has been an avid Telethon fan for as long as she can remember and is ready to take on the fun-filled weekend with full force.
“Every year if we don’t go to the Telethon family festival we are in big trouble,” Ms Street said.
Nine-year-old Aiden Narsico heard the news while he was at school footy training.
While Aiden cannot play himself, he is the team manager. And he could not contain his excitement after being told he had been chosen as a Little Telethon Star.
“I just got celebrated to be one of the superstars and it’s going to be a very exciting day in October. I feel very good right now,” he said, surrounded by friends cheering him on.
“This is my favourite time of all time.”
Aiden’s mum, Miraluna, was struggling to find the words after seeing her son so happy at the news.
“I am very, very proud. He’s a little miracle, sorry, I’m speechless,” she said.
Aiden lives with a rare genetic condition affecting his autonomic nervous system, meaning his brain does not always tell his body to breathe or swallow.
He has a lifelong tracheostomy and relies on a ventilator whenever he sleeps. He carries a portable ventilator everywhere he goes and cannot survive more than one to two hours without respiratory support.
“Aiden is a special gift for us although it comes to challenges but he’s also giving us like life lessons that you cannot really kind of like learn in a normal circumstances,” Ms Narsico said.
Eight-year-old Paige McKay had perhaps the biggest smile of all when she walked into PCH to see her favourite friends, the Captain Starlight crew, who were waiting with a large sign which read “congratulations”.
When Paige was handed her star, she could not stop turning around to show her parents.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it? What a privilege. What an experience for her,” Paige’s mum Amy said.
Ms McKay said the moment was exactly the kind of joy Paige deserves after she was diagnosed with a rapidly growing pilocytic astrocytoma in her brain stem at just five years old.
Because of its location, the tumour cannot be safely removed. Instead, Paige’s medical team focuses on helping her live the best possible quality of life while managing a condition she will live with long-term.
“We are so proud. She is such an inspiration for us and for everybody,” Ms McKay said.
Paige was ecstatic after hearing the news, declaring she was “really excited” with a big jump.
Read more about Olivia, Aiden and Paige when The West Australian dives deeper into their stories this week.
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