Caroline Crofton knows that being an Education Advocate means being part tutor, part mentor, part listener, and knowing which role is needed in any given moment. She builds relationships with entire families, not just students, because she understands that cancer affects everyone. Working alongside classroom teachers, she creates bridges between hospital experiences and homework assignments, between what was lost and what's still possible. Caroline shares her approach to rebuilding confidence...
Nov 25, 2025
27 min
Janelle Eddy has spent over 30 years in classrooms, from her first teaching post in the UK, to remote mining towns in the Pilbara, and she's discovered something wonderful: the best learning happens when you follow where a child's curiosity leads. On this episode of Little People, Big Lessons; Janelle explains how she's seen countless education trends come and go, but one truth remains constant: when children feel genuinely seen and heard, when they're given space to explore and teach y...
Nov 18, 2025
20 min
Marita Putland didn't become a teacher until she was 40 and she's learned that sometimes arriving late to your calling means you bring exactly what's needed. From primary schools to the justice system, she's taught in settings that shaped her understanding of what students truly need. Now, she brings the wisdom of a mother, grandmother, and experienced educator to families navigating recovery. Marita shares why sometimes a student just needs someone to listen, how she creates space for both c...
Nov 11, 2025
38 min
Sherrie and Teneille McBain have been navigating the aftermath of a leukaemia diagnosis since Teneille was one year old. Now 17, their journey reveals truths most people never consider: treatment ends, but the educational impacts don't. Getting diagnoses for "late effects" proved nearly impossible. Finding the right school environment took years. In this raw, honest conversation, mother and daughter share what they wish others understood about life after childhood cancer, the gaps in the syst...
Nov 4, 2025
42 min
“Connection before content, every single time”, are words Stuart Shields lives by. Stuart spent over 20 years in classrooms before burning out completely. The system that measured success through test scores felt increasingly at odds with what students actually needed. Then came an unexpected invitation to work with kids affected by cancer, not as a tutor, but as something more. Stuart talks honestly about his journey from disillusionment to purpose, why he builds mock murder scenes to teach ...
Oct 28, 2025
29 min
Brooke Phillips thought she understood what children needed after cancer, until she watched future colleague and friend, Caroline, work in her classroom. What she witnessed changed everything. As a teacher, she saw firsthand how a dedicated advocate transformed not just one student's academic performance, but his entire sense of self. Now working as an advocate herself, Brooke shares what it's like to stand on both sides of that relationship, the humbling lessons she's learned from the famili...
Oct 22, 2025
34 min
Kylie Dalton, CEO & Founder and Louise Shedden, Program Manager & Co-Founder, witnessed a devastating pattern, when childhood cancer treatment ended, the educational support vanished. But the cognitive effects, learning gaps, and emotional trauma remained. In this premiere episode, Kylie and Louise share the raw story of building Back on Track Foundation from the ground up. They reveal the families who taught them what was truly needed, and why survivors don't just need academic catch...
Oct 14, 2025
44 min
Welcome to Little People, Big Lessons! This season, we're shifting the spotlight to the extraordinary people behind the Back on Track program - the educators, mentors, founders, and advocates who dedicate their lives to empowering childhood cancer survivors and their families. Hosted by Cassie Silver, join us as we celebrate the champions of hope who make recovery and resilience possible. Powered by Back on Track Foundation and proudly supported by Alike. Subscribe now and be inspired by the ...
Oct 3, 2025
51 sec
When 11-year-old Levi was diagnosed with rare and aggressive T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, his mum Vee faced a choice: live in fear or choose life. On this episode of Little People, Big Dreams, hear how one family's decision to say "yes" instead of "no" transformed their cancer journey. Discover the dramatic lifestyle changes that helped Levi's recovery, the heartbreak of losing friendships, and how "chemo fog" derailed his education but not his dreams. This is a story about dancing wi...
Jul 31, 2025
48 min
In our upcoming episode, we are honoured to share the powerful story of Katie and her brave son, Finlay Higgs. Diagnosed with stage 4 high-risk Hepatoblastoma at just 18 months old, Finlay has faced unimaginable challenges, including 11 rounds of intensive chemotherapy, nine surgeries, and multiple stays in intensive care. Despite enduring over 80 doses of chemo and countless scans and transfusions, Finlay remains a beacon of strength, earning the title of his parents' “fair-haired hero.” Joi...
Aug 13, 2024
30 min
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