Tag Archives: oceania

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Dozens running to support little boy's battle with cancer

Three-year-old Oli's smile belies the pain he has endured batting neuroblastoma, an aggressive rare cancer.

The diagnosis was delivered to parents Joel and Leni Plueckhahn 15 months ago as Mrs Plueckhahn was going into labour with Oli's youngest sister.

"I was having contractions with my third daughter and yeah they told us they found a 10cm tumour," Ms Plueckhahn said.

READ MORE: Parents critical after major crash on Calder Freeway that killed toddler

Oli has since had five months of chemo, surgery to remove the stomach tumour and countless other interventions.

His mum has called him "the most resilient boy ever".

Mr Plueckhahn said the couple would do whatever they could to make their son fit and healthy.

"Seeing him run around and be a three-year-old, it just melts my heart," he said.

Oli has been ruled clear of cancer, but the family plans to travel overseas in March to access treatment they hope will prevent the cancer from returning.

"Survival rate for neuroblastoma is only 60 per cent at the moment, which is why we are going over to the states to participate in a clinical trial," Ms Plueckhahn said.

Dozens of Oli's family and friends will participate in the Melbourne Marathon this wekeend to help fund the trip.

Oli's grandfather Manny was a Marathon veteran, running in the event 40 times before he death from a rare blood cancer just after Oli's birth.

The family are sharing their story to also generate support for Rare Cancers Australia.

The Melbourne Marathon will be stage over two days this weekend.

The money raised by walkers and runners participating will go to a raft of deserving causes.

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Victorian teen returns to school day after being attacked by shark

A Victorian teenager has told of how he fought off a shark when he and his friend were swimming at a beach off the Bellarine Peninsula.

A bandaged Jack Shaw, 15, returned to school today after battling a shark at an Ocean Grove beach, just south of Geelong, about 7pm yesterday.

He and friend Tiarna, also 15, were swimming in neck-deep water when they came across what is believed to have been a reef shark or bronze whaler.

READ MORE: Brave family help save teen shark attack victims: 'We just jumped into action'

"I turned around, it got me on the back and then I said, 'swim!' and tried as fast as we could to get back in to shore," he said.

Jack suffered a centimetre-deep gash and bite marks to his back.

Tiarna suffered a cut to her hand and a wound on her calf.

"She looked at it and it was a shark," he said.

"So I did my best to get it off there, so I was smacking at it, trying to get it off."

Jack said the thoughts, "get the shark, get it off, get out of the water," were rushing through his mind.

Off-duty lifeguards ran to the pair's aid as they reached the shore.

However, the Hobbs family were on the scene first after they noticed the commotion in the water.

Mum Dianne Hobbs, who is a trauma nurse, used towels to stop Tiarna's leg bleeding.

Tiarna is still in Geelong Hospital tonight after having surgery this afternoon.

Jack said his school friends did not believe what happened to him until they saw the bite marks on his back.

Pieter Wildekamp from the Victorian Fisheries Authority has said shark attacks in Victoria are very uncommon.

"We haven't had a significant shark attack in over 40 years," he said.

The Ocean Grove because was temporarily closed as authorities searched for the shark, but it has now reopened.