Impact Spotlight: How You’re Helping Give Children in Remote Australia a Flying Start

Did you know families in rural and remote Australian communities are facing an agonising two-year wait for a medical diagnosis from a qualified paediatrician?

For parents like Renee, it’s more than just a wait — it’s a constant, heart-wrenching question mark over their child’s future.

“I felt like I was failing as a mum. I knew something was up with Theodore and I just needed the diagnosis to help him.”

Without a diagnosis, families are left in limbo. Children miss out on early interventions that could change the course of their lives. The long distances, the shortage of specialists, the overwhelming cost — it all adds up to a heartbreaking reality for thousands of families across regional and remote Australia.

Renee and her six-year-old son Theodore.

But thanks to our community of event hosts & attendees, there’s hope on the horizon.

Enter the Variety Flying Start Paediatric Service — a groundbreaking initiative delivering paediatric assessments at no cost to families, directly to the communities that need them most.

For Renee and her six-year-old Theodore, the Flying Start service changed everything.

“We can now move forward and give Theodore the best chance in life.”

This isn’t just about healthcare — it’s about dignity, equity, and unlocking every child’s potential, no matter their postcode.

Theodore's story showed us what's possible, but countless families are still waiting. Limited resources mean that access to a paediatrician through the public hospital system in regional areas can take years. Without your support, families face an impossible choice: a long and uncertain wait to help their child locally or several expensive journeys to access services in a major city, far from the community support that families depend on.

Renee and Theodore were able to get a diagnosis through Variety’s Flying Start service.

Variety’s work in supporting kids who are facing serious illness, disadvantage or disability is why our Senior Engineer Jake Pacione chose to donate half of his staff giving allocation to them.

“I was stoked to be able to donate $50,000 on behalf of Humanitix to Variety - The Children’s Charity, because the money goes straight to creating real, direct impact — and I’ve seen the effects of that firsthand. It’s powerful.”

Our Senior Engineer Jake with our Product Owner Sam.

Your impact through Humanitix is helping make this possible.

Every ticket you buy powers projects like this one — breaking down barriers, building brighter futures, and bringing critical support to families across Australia.

Find out more about Variety’s Flying Start Paediatric Service and give a child a Flying Start today.