At first glance, Birdwoodton’s Michele Dichiera looks like any other 12-year-old.
A Year 7 student at Merbein P-10 College, Michele loves his sport – especially soccer, playing video games and spending time with his family.
Look closer, and you soon see that Michele has, unfortunately, had to endure more in his young life than most would in a lifetime.
It’s a battle that is set to ramp up at an emotional and potential financial cost to his family over the coming weeks and months.
Michele was born with a giant cell angioblastoma in his right foot – an extremely rare, aggressive tumour that occurs in the soft tissue of children.
One of only 20 known cases worldwide, patients often present with a growing, painful mass, and while the tumours are often low-grade and malignant, which is the case with Michele, they can cause significant damage to the surrounding tissue.
“We’ve been assured that it won’t metastasize or become cancerous, however it is extremely evasive, and has grown through his foot,” Michele’s mum Raschelle said.
Michele is currently unable to bear any weight on his leg and requires a wheelchair to attend school.
All current treatments are proving ineffective, leaving his specialists in Melbourne with two options – a trial medication called ‘Cabozantinib’ – an oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor which they hope will heal the tumour, or, as a final resort, amputate Michele’s foot.
While an approved, subsidised medication in Australia for other specific, advanced cancers under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), Cabozantinib is not currently available to treat giant cell angioblastom under the PBS.
As a result, the Dichiera’s are facing monthly bills of approximately $10,000 to utilise the drug in a last-ditch attempt to save Michele’s foot.
“This latest flare up has been present for around 15 months, and it’s just not healing, and we’ve been told it won’t heal without this treatment,” Raschelle said.
“We have no idea how long Michele will have to be on the drug before we see any sort of result.
“The Royal Children’s Hospital is trying to secure funding to access the medication on our behalf, while also applying to the government for approval, and we should know by the end of this month (April 2026) whether that advocacy has been successful.
“The Mildura Base Public Hospital has supported us with a $10,000 grant, which will be an enormous help going forward, while Wings for Kids have also donated $2000.
“We can’t thank those organisations enough for their help, and it’s just amazing the generosity and support that we have been shown, and we’re just so grateful.”
Born with the condition, Michele’s parents said it first presented as a bruise on 18 August 2013 – mere days after they brought him home from the hospital.
“Originally everyone thought it was a birthmark,” Raschelle explained. “It’s just got worse, and we eventually ended up at the Royal Children’s in Melbourne who biopsied it, which came back inconclusive.
“Over time it ulcerated down to his tendons and we eventually got a diagnosis of what it was following some genetic testing and numerous hospital visits and surgeries to clean the wound.”
Once diagnosed, Michele initially responded well to treatment, which included immuno-suppressants and surgeries to clear up the tumour, and allow the ulceration to heal.
It was a four-year journey filled with infections, long-term antibiotics, failed skin grafts, pain and mental anguish for Michele and his family.
“He was good for about five years and we thought we’d got on top of it – and then in January 2023 he developed a second ulcer,” Raschelle said. “He had that wound for 10 months, and then we went through a cycle where it would heal for a bit and then open back up.
“Then this current ulcer occurred in February 2025 and it’s just been a rollercoaster, it’s all very scary – and all our hopes are on this drug.
“We’ve been advised that while this medication won’t be a miracle cure, if it can get the ulceration healed then that’s the best outcome.
“Our doctors have indicated that there are other medications and even chemo that they might be forced to try should the Cabozantinib prove ineffective, while there’s every chance that radical surgery will be required.”
Michele’s father, Robert, is a member of the Sunraysia Residential Services Inc. (SRS) family as part of the maintenance team – a role he’s had for the past 12 months.
“SRS has been amazing for me and my family while dealing with this, and when they heard what Michele was going through and what we were facing, the first thing they asked was ‘how can we help?’” he said.
“We’re grateful for the support, and any help from the community to help Michele through this.”
Should the Royal Children’s Hospital be unsuccessful, the Dichiera’s, with the support of SRS, will be launching a fund-raising campaign to help cover the costs of Michele’s treatment to help save his foot.
The family is also in need of support to help Michele easily access school, with SRS to support advocacy efforts to get him the help and support he needs.
SRS will be sharing regular updates on Michele’s progress, with locals residents or businesses interested in offering financial or other support encouraged to contact SRS Marketing and Events Coordinator Vinnie Rodi on 03 5039 5688 or email [email protected] for more information.
Those interested can also contribute by donating directly via our online portal at https://tr.ee/Michele
Media Contact:
Vinnie Rodi – Marketing and Events Coordinator
Phone: 0439 364 781
Email: [email protected]