Most children would be ecstatic to leave the hospital but for kids like Paige McKay the people in one special room have become like her family.

A shaved and bandaged head is the only indication that Paige went through emergency brain surgery less than a week ago with the seven-year-old all smiles, thanks to the captains in the Starlight Express room at Perth Children’s Hospital.

The children’s charity was celebrating Starlight Day on Tuesday, putting on crafts, dress-ups, games, and a comedy show for the sick kids at PCH, part of an effort to raise $1.95 million by the end of June.

The space has become a second home to Paige as she has undergone a treatment trial and surgeries since being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour almost two years ago.

For her parents the Starlight team have got them through their hardest days.

“Paige has an inoperable brain tumour, which keeps trying to take her from us, but she keeps fighting,” her father Leif McKay said.

“We got accepted into a trial, which has been remarkable but during that time she was stuck in a ward and to be able to come here it allows a moment for her to take a breath.

“This has allowed her to have fun and have joy and laughter with the captains and play games.

“You don’t think about your situation when you’re here as well, it allows you just to watch your child be as much of a normal child as possible and allow you to continue driving forward.”

The Starlight team even decorated Paige’s hospital room with balloons and lights, when they found out she was undergoing emergency brain surgery, so when she woke up she would know the captains were thinking of her.

“They have become our hospital family. When she got taken into emergency brain surgery, I came here,” Paige’s mum Ami McKay said.

“Starlight is what’s getting her through this.”

Starlight Day was extra special at PCH as Captain Mars, a therapy dog, came to have cuddles with the children.

Perth Glory and Fremantle Dockers players also stopped by.

Paige said she enjoyed making her sock puppet she called ‘Hug’ as well as visiting the captains.

“I like seeing the captains, they’re so silly,” she said.

“We love an event in the Starlight Express room. I think it just adds a bit of fun to a day that sometimes in hospital obviously can be a little bit scary,” Starlight Children’s Foundation program manager Megan Strickland said.

Donations to the Starlight Foundation on Tuesday, May 19, will be tripled.