THERE is perhaps no-one more deserving of a luxurious tropical getaway than Lizzy Knox.
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Lizzy’s parents, Suzy and David, refer to their daughter, 16, as their princess and little ray of sunshine.
But life has not always been easy for the Youngtown family.
Looking at her smiling face, you would never guess the teenager was living with a terminal illness.
Two years ago, Lizzy was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic syndrome and aggressive liver disease.
Since that day, she has had 32 plane trips to Melbourne appointments and made a name for herself at the “hotel Launceston General Hospital”.
Things are set to get a bit brighter for the Knox family in June when they travel to the Gold Coast thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The family will be picked up from the airport in a hummer and spend their holiday in a penthouse apartment.
Mr and Mrs Knox have promised to spoil Lizzy rotten.
Despite all the hardships the Knox family have been through, it would be hard to find a more positive, loving and inspirational family.
Lizzy, who also lives with down syndrome, sits quietly in her spot on the sofa, engrossed in her iPad and excited about a new DVD she received as an early birthday present.
Her parents sit nearby, laughing at the memories they have already made with the beloved daughter and guessing at what the next few years might look like.
Right now, it’s the little things in life that make Lizzy happy – a copy of Little House on the Prairie on DVD, a box of KFC chips and her family by her side.
“It’s been really, really tough,” Mrs Knox admits.
“We go back to Melbourne in May for some more testing but we’re just trying to keep her well, to keep her loved.
“We have always said that Lizzy is the sunshine in our life.”
As the family’s well-earned trip away approaches, Mrs Knox said she is looking forward to spending some quality time with the most important thing in her life – her family.
“When we go the Gold Coast, it will be really nice to go somewhere that we don’t associate with being unwell because everytime we go on a plane, it’s to go and do things that aren’t nice,” she said.
To donate to the Knox family, visit the Lizzy’s Blanks Facebook page.