Former Little Telethon Stars reflect on how far they’ve come ahead of fundraising weekend

It’s been many years since they were crowned the little stars of Telethon, but the effect of their involvement has lasted a lifetime.

Emily Prior, Louise Sauvage, Prue Hawkins, and Jordan Mathews appeared on Telethon in different decades.

But for each of them, their time on the silver screen gave them the confidence to realise they can do anything. From becoming a paralympian to starring in TV shows, as well as starting a law firm and learning a unique trade.

Emily Prior has achieved a lot in the 10 years since she was a Little Telethon Star in 2014.

It was her time in front of the camera that inspired her to become a disability advocate and begin acting.

The 17-year-old was born with spastic diplegia — a form of cerebral palsy — meaning she uses a wheelchair and needs crutches to walk.

“I love Telethon because it gave me so much,” she said.

“It helped me become an advocate for disabilities and see myself on TV — as I realised that I wasn’t seeing myself in the media.

“It’s good for the kids to donate to a good cause and it just means a lot for young disabled kids to have this experience, to be recognised, and just get the help they need.”

Since being on Telethon, Ms Prior has starred in two TV shows: Rocky and Me, which follows the story of a girl living with cerebral palsy, and she voice-acted for a quokka called Quest in The Wonder Gang.

“I just want to show people that it’s okay to be disabled, and I’m really trying to help younger kids see themselves being represented in society,” she said.

Graduating from high school in just two days, she said her next step was to study radio and broadcasting at TAFE.

Louise Sauvage has become one of the most successful Paralympians in the country since her Telethon stardom in 1976.

Ms Sauvage — a nine-time Paralympic gold medallist who lives with a congenital spinal condition called myelomeningocele — was just three when she was the Little Telethon Star.

After Telethon, she tried a range of wheelchair sports and eventually took up wheelchair racing — a decision which saw her became one of the world’s greatest in the discipline.

“I found my tribe and at a very young age I went to my first world championships, so it’s definitely shaped my life,” Ms Sauvage said.

The 51-year-old has since made the move from competing to coaching athletes like Madi de Rozario, who won a silver and bronze medal at the Paris Paralympic Games this year.

“I’m still involved in my chosen sport at a very high level and it’s extremely rewarding to be part of someone else’s journey,” she said.

In the decades since she was the Telethon star as a six-year-old, Prue Hawkins has found love not only in her life but also through her career.

The 43-year-old, who was born with brittle bone disease which causes bones to break easily, got married to the love of her life Ted Withers in 2021 and they have now added a cat to the family.

A health battle over the past two years, meant she had to close down her law firm but she is feeling positive again after landing a role with the Equal Opportunity Commission.

“I’ve just gotten a new role as a conciliation officer — so someone that runs mediations — and I’m loving it,” she said.

“I’ve been pretty sick for the last two years but I’m coming out of it and I’ve got a lot more optimism in my world. I’m now working hard and enjoying life.”

She said she was proud to be part of the 1987 Telethon.

“I always get a sense of pride around Telethon because I love that it’s WA based,” she said. “I love that no matter what the financial situation in this country is we’ve always beaten our last total.”

Jordan Mathews feels thankful for how the WA fundraiser helped in his own recovery after he endured 50 per cent burns to his body when he was one.

He starred on Telethon in 1997 at the age of three, and at the time — and for many more years to come — he was treated by Fiona Wood, Suzanne Rea, and the team at Princess Margaret Hospital

“I was having surgery one to two times a year and it was always quite extensive surgery so it was usually mostly skin grafts or treatment to both my legs and arms,” the 29-year-old said.

Mr Mathews said he had about 50 surgeries to heal his scars with his last procedure being when he was 16.

Thanks to the help of the PMH team and his surgeons, he said the burns now only impact a little movement and strength in his right hand.

The treatment has meant he had the ability to train to become a water bore driller which he has been doing for eight years, and in his spare time, he loves fishing.

“Mine sites can’t continue mining unless we come in and put the bores in so they can pump the water out, so it’s sort of a diverse skill-set that I’ve been able to go into,” he said.

The four former little stars are looking forward to watching and donating to Telethon this weekend.