Nikiaya is a little chatterbox! If you want to get her talking, just ask her about all the fun she has in hospital with Captain Starlight!

Her mum Jess says Nikiaya talks non-stop about Captain Starlight, and knows all there is to know about Planet Starlight.

Sadly, Nikiaya has been in and out of hospital since she was tiny. At just ten months old, she was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder known as Jacobsen Syndrome.

Jess said the news was devastating for the family, and it was an extraordinarily difficult time.

Nikiaya suffers from chronic respiratory issues, which can leave her struggling to breathe. She requires daily medical care and frequent hospital visits - often for weeks at a time.

But thankfully, Starlight supporters have helped bring Captain Starlight and all the fun of the Starlight Express Room into her world. It's meant Nikiaya can forget about being sick and simply be a kid again. In the Starlight Express Room, she can be herself and do all the things she loves doing - chatting, playing, laughing and making music.

Even on the days when she's feeling really unwell, Nikiaya's face lights up as soon as she sees Captain Starlight, and her tears and frustrations quickly turn into smiles and laughter.

"Starlight does more than distract her from the realities of hospital life, they help create fun and happy memories," Nikiaya's mum, Jess said.

And when hospital is your life, those memories are priceless.

Jess said hospital has become like their second home. Thankfully, Starlight is there helping the whole family cope with the pain, fear and stress of Nikiaya's long and frequent hospital stays.

Jess said Starlight is the most wonderful distraction they could ever ask for.

"Words can't explain how important the Starlight Express Room and Captain Starlight are to Nikiaya and our family," Jess said.

When Nikiaya's in hospital, Captain Starlight is the first thing she talks about when she wakes up, and it helps them get through her gruelling rounds of medical treatment.

It's only thanks to the generosity of supporters that Starlight can be there for sick kids like Nikiaya.

To Starlight supporters, Jess has a special message:

"From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Words cannot express how much of a difference your ongoing support and generosity means to all of us," Jess said.