Little Riley and Ace celebrate the gift of life this Christmas after both battling leukaemia

Christmas has been the light at the end of the tunnel for two WA families, whose young sons have spent a hellish year battling leukaemia.

Riley Coyne, 4, and Ace D’Agostino, 2, became friends — as if by fate — when the two were healthy toddlers. But then, within months of each other, they were both diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Little Riley’s family were told he had the horrendous blood cancer in June, 2024, when he was only three, while Ace was less than two years old when doctors found he also had leukaemia in February this year.

It’s a battle the families wish their sons didn’t have to endure, but they were grateful to have each other to lean on during the difficult time.

“Riley had scheduled chemo in hospital at the time while Ace was in hospital first being diagnosed,” Riley’s mum Elysia Coyne said.

“For me it was reliving that trauma again because it was so close to home, but then I felt like I needed to do so much to make sure they were OK as well because I knew how it felt.”

Ace’s mum Parissa D’Agostino added: “At the very beginning, when I was still processing, it was great having someone who gets it because it’s a world you don’t know exists until you’re in it.”

Being away from their home in Dunsborough compounded the stress for the Coyne family, having to spend 15 months in accommodation, provided by the Leukaemia Foundation, in Innaloo while Riley was going through treatment.

But, just in time for Christmas, Riley made it through five rounds of chemotherapy and two rounds of immunotherapy and is now able to take oral chemo while at their Dunsborough home.

He even got the chance to go to school for the first time.

“Riley has grown his hair back and he’s enjoying out-of-hospital life, that’s for sure,” Ms Coyne said.

“It’s just a relief to be home and where we want to be for Christmas — it’s a good feeling.”

Ace is also out of the worst of his treatment, just finishing nine-and-a-half months of intense chemotherapy, and is now recouping his health before beginning oral chemotherapy.

Ms D’Agostino said she hoped they would be able to spend Christmas at their Wanneroo home.

“It’s been nice to get to the end of his intense treatment before Christmas and the end of the year, but it’s still so unknown as we’ve been in hospital every weekend with a little infection or a fever from a transfusion,” she said.

“We’re hoping Christmas will be lovely and little things are now big things — like putting the Christmas tree up, sometimes we take that for granted — but this year was just special because some people don’t get to do that.”

By Christmas 2026, it is hoped both boys will be cancer free and will get to be just kids again.