Christchurch

From chemo to confidence: Why a 12-year-old boy jumped from a plane

5 March 2026

News

A 12-year-old boy who gained confidence at Camp Quality after surviving cancer is preparing for his last summer camp — and marked the milestone by jumping from a plane to help another child experience what transformed him.

Oliver Spence from Darfield was just 3 years old when doctors diagnosed him with stage 4 Hodgkin's lymphoma.

His family faced the unimaginable — managing intensive cancer treatment at Christchurch Hospital's Child Haematology and Oncology Centre while also caring for his younger brother who was only 5 weeks old.

“The world went upside down,” his father Kyle Spence said. “You’re plunged into this world you never knew existed.”

The first rounds of chemotherapy hit hard. Medical staff struggled to control Oliver's nausea and sickness, and he contracted a virus that left the family isolated in his hospital room during treatment.

But by the third round, the anti-nausea medication finally started working. After six months of treatment, Oliver “came out on the good side” and was later announced in remission.

The following year, at age 5, he attended his first Camp Quality summer camp — a refuge for children with cancer. Each child is paired one-on-one with a trained volunteer companion for a week of activities.

“You get to meet kids who have been through the same things as you,” said Oliver, whose favourite part was the activities and spending time with friends.

Camp Quality general manager Sam Fellows said it was all about creating an opportunity for campers “to just be kids”.

“They might have missed time from school, or people know them as the cancer kid, or if they’ve had [cancer] when they’re little ... there’s probably a little bit more cotton wool on them,” he said.

“So we enable that cotton wool to come off, within boundaries, just letting them be kids and do fun stuff.”

Oliver attended every camp for eight years, missing only one due to Covid cancellations. He experienced helicopter rides, jet boating and truck rides.

“Camp has made me more confident and helped me in trying new things I never would have had the chance to do,” Oliver said.

His father said “he’s just boosted his confidence getting out and about” and would come home “absolutely buzzing” from each camp.

The experience transformed Oliver into what his parents now call an adrenaline junkie. It also deepened his empathy. He remembers the stares when he had a nasal feeding tube and steroid-related swelling, and now instinctively tells his younger brother not to stare at children who look unwell. “He's incredibly caring,” Spence said.

“I really think Mum, that I should do something,” he said to his parents at the time, while discussing this would be his last camp. His mum recommended a bake sale or a walk or “something crazy” — and Oliver took her up on the third option.

“I wanted to give something back to camp because they have given me so much since I was 5,” Oliver said.

Oliver’s annual check-ups continue, but medically he's thriving, achieving at school and is interested in BMX riding, scooting and skateboards.

And while devastated to be leaving Camp Quality, he's already eyeing his next challenge one day: a bungee jump.

 

The Press 23 December 2025

Article by Tatiana Gibbs