Telethon 2025: Young Tia Scott encourages West Aussies and Telethon talent to dig deep for kids like her
17-year-old Tia Scott’s powerful speech at Saturday morning’s Telethon breakfast tugged at heartstrings and inspired attendees to do their best at the 26-hour mega fundraiser.
Diagnosed with osteosarcoma bone cancer when she was just 12 years old, Tia endured 755 blood tests, 188 scans, 13 surgeries and multiple rounds of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiotherapy and more.
His first major surgery to remove a tumor took 16 hours.
“Before the surgery, they told me there was a chance I would never walk again, but here I am,” he said.
“On my birthday, at 2 a.m. in the emergency room or hospital, I discovered what courage felt like. Courage is not about not being afraid, it’s about doing things while you’re afraid.”
Now 17 years old, this amazing young man has revealed that the older he gets, the harder it takes.
“As a teenager, you understand everything,” Tia said. “You understand all the things that can go wrong with surgery, all the side effects that can result from a treatment, as well as all the things that can go wrong with the cancer itself.”
And he was upfront about why Telethon is so important to kids and teens like him who are going through the scariest times of their lives.
“You’re not just raising money. You’re giving kids like me reasons to keep going,” he said.
And just like that, it was all systems go.
The new Mr Telethon, Channel 7’s Ryan Daniels, set the tone for hundreds of participants who came together for a weekend of fundraising for some of WA’s most vulnerable and sick children.
“This is where we remember why we are here,” Daniels said. “If you’re in this room, you have a vital role to play this weekend. The only word you need to know is ‘yes.'”
“No fear of looking stupid, no shame. Just pure, non-stop fun, energy, heart and chaos.”
Fat Cat’s grand entrance was greeted with thunderous applause amidst a kaleidoscope of bright colors and rainbow balloons surrounding the room.
The junior Telethon Stars — Izzy Miller, 5, Xavier Summers, 8, Paige McIllree, 8, and Jordan Blair, 9 — beamed as they took the stage to chat with Daniels ahead of their big debut at 7 p.m.
Richard Goyder, chairman of the Channel 7 Telethon Trust, spoke about the power of Telethon over the weekend, with presenters, singers, dancers and more in their hands.
“What we will do this weekend is provide Western Australia with hope and a sense of community that Telethon is performing better than anything else,” Mr Goyder said.
“You being here and being a part of this weekend is incredibly important to what Telethon does for the community. The power of Telethon is that the community is behind it.”
And Seven West Media president Kerry Stokes gave a fascinating insight into Telethon’s evolution over the last decade.
“We decided to set a bigger goal for the telethon,” Mr. Stokes said. “The purpose of the telethon was to change the attitude of everyone living in this state.”
He said the community spirit really comes together when we give a little more than money to the cause.
“We want as much money as we raised last year, if not more. But we want more than that. We’re about to create something different,” he said.
Mr Stokes encouraged those traveling from the Eastern States for the Telethon weekend to bring something with them.
“We know from past experience that those who come buy and share things,” he said. “Remember, whatever we do now, we are laying the foundation for the next generation.”
Taking to the stage next were Manu Feildel and Rob Palmer; They did their best Elvis impersonations while lip-syncing to Jailhouse Rock; it was a sign of the sensational, spontaneous fun to come all weekend long.
Telethon 2025 will be broadcast live from the RAC Arena on Channel 7 and 7plus from 19:00.
