FOR CFA firefighter Rohan Stevens, answering the call to help others has been second nature for 30 years. But in 2019, the call for help came for his own family—and it was one they never expected.
Rohan and his wife Misty never imagined they would need the world-class care of the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH). Their son Jack, now six, is the face of the 2025 Good Friday Appeal after a life-changing diagnosis at just 15 months old.
Jack began losing his speech and experiencing seizures, leading to the devastating discovery of a brain tumour wrapped around a critical part of his brain. He spent weeks in the hospital, closely monitored and undergoing treatment, before undergoing surgery just before his second birthday. His recovery was further challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the hardships, Jack has made incredible progress. Now in grade one, he has relearned how to walk, talk, and develop fine motor skills. A bright and bubbly child, he feels right at home at the CFA station, where his father has volunteered for 25 years at the Epping Fire Station.
Rohan is also the Hume Group Officer and said their family felt the arms of the CFA wrap around them when they became the ones who needed to benefit from the cause he had always passionately supported.
“Jack’s story has given that additional sense of purpose to the brigade and us as a family,” he said.
Rohan urges the community to support the Good Friday Appeal, emphasising how donations save lives. “Dig deep and donate as much as you can so we can see more success stories like Jack’s,” Rohan said.
Jack might not remember a whole lot about his early struggles, but he doesn’t hesitate to look to the future and says he wants to be a firefighter, “just like daddy.”
