Six-year-old Raya celebrates two years in cancer remission with help from camp quality puppets

On Friday 25 August, the fun and interactive Camp Quality Puppets will visit St Patrick Primary School, Ashfield, to perform for Raya and her classmates.

After a devastating cancer diagnosis, six-year-old Raya Joukhadar will celebrate two-years in remission with her friends, family and the Camp Quality Puppets, and the Summer Hill local community couldn’t be more excited.

Cancer treatment was gruelling and upended the whole family. Raya endured aggressive chemotherapy and had to have a bone marrow transplant. She then faced nearly six months of strict isolation to make sure she didn’t contract any infections.

In September 2021, Raya was finally declared cancer-free. “It’s so exciting to see a big milestone. When you go through treatment, you just don’t know the future and it’s quite surreal. Every day I look at her and just think wow, this is where we’re at.’ It’s truly amazing,” says mum, Grace.

Raya is now back in school and leaps at every opportunity to be just a normal kid. She goes to dance and acrobatics classes, she is learning to play the piano and just lost her first front tooth.

To help Raya integrate back into the usual school routine, Camp Quality is supporting the family by educating her fellow students about her experience.

“We are so proud of our Cancer Education Program performed by the Camp Quality puppets and how this engaging performance helps children understand the effects of a cancer diagnosis on a family. After kids like Raya go through cancer treatment, they often return to school without hair due to chemotherapy or with other physical markers of cancer. The education program makes sure that kids can return to a safe and supportive environment. And we’re thrilled that we can help Raya celebrate two-years cancer free,” says Deborah Thomas, Camp Quality CEO.

The Cancer Education Program, featuring the much-loved Camp Quality Puppets, visits primary schools and education and care services across the country to deliver age-appropriate cancer information that dispels myths and reduces bullying as well as building mental wellbeing and reducing absenteeism.

The live show helps schools create supportive communities for any child impacted by cancer – whether they are dealing with their own diagnosis, or the diagnosis of a sibling, mum, dad or carer. Book a puppet show now.