Cherry auction soars to new heights raising record-breaking $260,000 for vital service
Like most three-year-old country boys, Rylan Wyborn is a big fan of monster trucks, motorbikes, outdoor skate parks, pigging and fishing.
“He’s very energetic and really enjoys playing outside – he loves riding his scooter,” said Rylan’s mum Brooke.
Rylan has a beaming smile on his face as he tells The Courier about all his favourite things and hopes for the future, including a Christmas present with a motor – a car, perhaps remote control, would be very well received under the tree.
He also has a much-loved pet goat and looks forward to being big enough to ride a bull one day.
Rylan is outgoing, kind, friendly, and has this journalist charmed within minutes of meeting.
He has an older sister Zarlie who is 10 and two brothers – eight-year-old Brock and one-year-old Colton.
In many ways, Rylan is just a typical Narrabri boy soaking up the joys of a rural childhood.
However, he lives with a medical condition – a rare lymphatic disorder – which causes swelling and it can also severely compromise Rylan’s immune system, leaving him vulnerable to infection.
“Rylan was born with lymphedema down the right side – from the top of his eyebrow to the tip of his big toe,” explained Brooke.
“It’s rare, we never knew about it (lymphedema), and normally you’re not born with it,” added Rylan’s dad Zane.
“I think it is normally something that happens after surgery or some sort of trauma.
“So, for Rylan to be born with it was a big shock. Even the nurses at the hospital weren’t sure at the start,” added Zane.
“So, none of the fluid drains back into his body unless it’s forced by compression. His lymphatic system doesn’t work, which helps the fluid in your body drain and helps your lymph nodes,” added Brooke.
“That’s why he’s got special compression stockings that he wears, and we need to have those garments remeasured as he grows.”
Navigating Rylan’s rare condition has presented unique challenges for his family. And while they love living in the bush, the Wyborns understand all too well the hurdles, sacrifices and costs rural people face when it comes to accessing healthcare such as the tyranny of distance and the pressures of balancing work and other family commitments while attending appointments and receiving care a long way from your hometown. The journey to find a diagnosis and treatment has been long and arduous for Rylan and his family, from Narrabri hospital to Tamworth and eventually to specialist care at John Hunter in Newcastle and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney. It is still an ongoing process.
For Zane and Brooke, the real ‘game changers’ for the family happened when a physiotherapist told them about Little Wings and Ronald McDonald House.
“We went from Narrabri to Tamworth, and then back–and-forth to Tamworth – they threw their hands up in the air and didn’t know what they could do for Rylan and we got sent to John Hunter and a specialist there managed his legs with compression stockings but she wasn’t sure what to do about his arm so sent us down to Westmead in Sydney,” said Brooke.
“We’d made about three trips to Sydney for different appointments and then we found out about Little Wings.
“By car, it’s about an eight-hour trip and we’d be stopping at our parents’ houses along the way – both of our parents live in Cessnock.
“At one point we moved down there to Cessnock for six months to be closer to Sydney but Zane was back here (Narrabri) for work,” said Brooke.
“So, the family was split up for a bit, which did make it super challenging. That was life before Little Wings, and Ronald McDonald House – which has been a massive help too.”
One of the reasons Zane and Brooke are sharing Rylan’s story is because they want to raise community awareness including about his condition.
“We know there aren’t any children around that you see looking like Rylan with one side swollen,” explained Brooke.
“We love him and it might make his life a little bit easier if people know more about his story, it might mean less questions and it might help other families too if their child has a condition.”
The couple also want to share key messages about the incredible and critical services offered by Little Wings and Ronald McDonald House to country families seeking health treatment far from home. “The Narrabri community has been amazing, but we don’t have family here,” said Zane.
“We moved here 10 years ago together to start our own family, we love it here, but we don’t have parents or grandaparents or cousins, aunties, uncles around so to have these services behind us makes life just so much easier.”
Ronald McDonald House serves as ‘a home away from home’ with the goal of ‘keeping families under the one roof and close to the hospital’. With 19 Ronald McDonald Houses across Australia, the charity offers families a comfortable place to stay with support from staff, volunteers and other families with shared experiences. The Houses include private family bedrooms, many with ensuites and communal kitchens, lounges, quiet spaces and play areas. Providing free accommodation for families with seriously ill or injured children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.
Little Wings is a non-for-profit organisation providing sick children and their families, throughout regional NSW, ACT and Queensland with free ongoing flight and ground transport during the treatment process, which also means less time on the road and less time apart for families. In the last financial year, Little Wings supported 5,110 children and delivered 109 regional Medical Wings clinics, providing preventative care, early diagnosis, and health literacy support to children and families.
Little Wings said it understands that ‘discovering your precious child has a life-threatening illness can be truly heartbreaking. It’s even harder when the waves of pain come with the emotional and financial strain of being away from your family and home, while your child braves treatment.’
For Rylan’s family, Little Wings allows them to fly from Narrabri airport to Bankstown in Sydney, where a vehicle then takes them straight to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead.
The trip from Narrabri to Westmead is more than 500 kilometres by road. It is a lifesaving and life-changing service for rural families.
Rylan is required to go to Westmead up to three times a year, and often those visits might need to be extended, and at short notice.
“To have this support for our family is just massive,” said Zane. “Every pilot is a volunteer pilot, they’re amazing,” added Brooke.
Rylan couldn’t agree more; the Little Wings pilots make him feel comfortable and at ease, giving him earmuffs for the noise and another highlight he says is “the tiny teddies” handed out during the flight.
Rylan even tells The Courier that he might like to fly a plane one day himself.
It’s clear Little Wings has had an enormous impact on the Wyborns as they express their sincere gratitude to the charity and speak so fondly about their experiences with the pilots.
It’s a vital medical service and one that deservingly received a sizable financial boost as the 2025 charity partner for the Sydney Markets Foundation Cherry Ball.
The Sydney Markets Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable organisation that aims to assist members of the community, including those associated with the fresh produce industry, during times of crisis. Its charitable activities have provided funding to help communities through drought, floods, bushfires and sickness, and lend a helping hand to people associated with Sydney Markets and the industry who are doing it tough.
Held on November 29, there was super sweet success at the annual Cherry Ball auction when a five-kilogram box of cherries from Warby Ranges in Victoria was auctioned off for a record-breaking $260,000, with the proceeds going to 2025 charity partner Little Wings.
For the first time in its 44-year history, the cherry auction saw two businesses named cherry royalty, with both Parisi and Trims Fresh Merrylands taking the crown of Cherry King and Queen.
Both businesses placed winning bids of $80,000 each, with Trims Fresh Merrylands’ bid supported by a secondary donation. Additional pledges totalled $20,000 from Sydney Markets Credit Services and $80,000 from a consortium of Sydney Markets businesses.
“The Cherry Ball is a highlight of our summer produce calendar, bringing together growers, retailers, and community supporters to celebrate our incredible Australian produce and make a real difference,” said Meegan George, Sydney Markets Foundation chief executive office.
“The highly coveted box of cherries hand selected to go under the hammer was from Smiths Fruit in Wangaratta, for the second consecutive year. Its Royal Hazel Premium Cherry was chosen by the judging panel as the prize varietal from nine different entrants.”
For the second year running, all proceeds from the cherry auction will go to charity partner, Little Wings.
“This year’s record-breaking auction result of $260,000 demonstrates the generosity of our community and ensures children in regional and rural areas can access the vital care they need, no matter the distance,” added Meegan George.
“Every bid truly changes lives and this result highlights the way our community has joined forces and dug deep, surpassing all expectations.”
The proceeds from the 2024 Cherry Auction enabled the organisation to run an additional two missions per week, expanding its reach significantly across rural and regional communities.
This year’s impressive donations will see Little Wings soar to new heights.
“We are incredibly grateful to Sydney Markets Foundation and everyone who supported the Cherry Auction this year,” said Clare Pearson, chief executive officer of Little Wings.
“Every single dollar counts, and these much-needed funds will allow us to maximise the impact of our work as we continue to expand our services and support even more families, ensuring that seriously ill children in rural and regional communities can get the medical care they need when they need it most.”
Chief executive officer of Sydney Markets Anthony Boyd said: “The Cherry Auction is one of our most treasured traditions, celebrating the first cherries of the season and the generosity of our Markets community.
“Since its inception, the auction has raised more than two million dollars and continues to bring the community together year after year. We especially thank Parisi and Trims Fresh Merrylands for their support and partnership in helping us turn a simple cherry into something life-changing.
“It’s a wonderful reminder of what makes Sydney Markets so special and a place where our industry unites to make a real difference.”
Rylan’s dad Zane described the record-breaking auction result as “phenomenal”.
Almost lost for words, the Wyborns were overwhelmed by the generosity of people in supporting Little Wings through the Sydney Markets Foundation but know first-hand how critical the charity transport service is and what an amazing difference it can make to assist families, just like theirs.
“The support is just crazy,” said Zane. “It’s unfathomable”.
The Wyborns also expressed their deep thanks to family and the local community for all the support, with a special mention for Patti Lettice for her kindness.
The family were thrilled to be able to attend the Cherry Ball in Sydney, and with the help of local businesses, Rylan looked very handsome in his shirt and tie, kindly donated by McDonalds Fashion.
“SportsPower is another one who has been great because Rylan has two different show sizes, we would have to buy two pairs of shoes but they have helped us,” said Brooke.
“Thank you also to Sahar and Rosette from NutRoasters who made our night fun dancing with Zarlie and Brock, the ladies attend on behalf of the owner who kindly invited us to the Cherry Ball.
“And to Paul Lahood (OAM) and his beautiful wife. Paul is a gentlemen – we shared a table with them a Rylan fell fast asleep in his arms while we ate.”
“The support from everyone really means a lot – thank you – it’s been phenomenal,” added Zane.
