Birney Song, of Engadine, was 11 when a malignant tumour the size of an egg developed on his right arm.
During his illness, the Make A Wish Foundation provided a glimmer of sunlight amid the darkness for him and his family.
The cancer survivor told of his gratitude while supporting Club Central Menai’s month-long fundraiser for the foundation, which grants wishes to seriously ill children.
For every main meal purchased in the Terrace Bistro during July, $1 will be donated to the foundation.
The club is aiming to beat the $6000 it raised last year, when it ran the campaign for the first time.
Mr Song, who is a volunteer for the foundation, said he was diagnosed with a Stage 3 Rhabdomyosarcoma, a muscle tumour, in his right arm.
“As an 11-year-old I wanted to be an actor, so Make A Wish organised two visits for me,” he recalled.
“One was to the set of a TV show and the other to the set of The Great Gatsby, which was being made at Fox Studios at the time.
“My mum, dad and I got picked up in a limo and we met some of the actors including Leonardo Di Caprio, Toby Maguire, Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton and director Baz Luhrmann.”
Mr Song said having a wish granted was beneficial to the whole family.
“A wish affords a child a moment of pure joy, to do what a child should be doing,” he said.
"It is a beautiful distraction for the child and the whole family.
“Especially, it's important for the parents, as a wish gives hope and restores some innocence and normality back into their new reality of hospital visits and anticipating test results.”
Mr Song’s illness motivated him to pursue a career in medicine, and he graduated recently with a Bachelor of Medical Science degree from UNSW,
Early last year, he became a Make A Wish volunteer, visiting families in Sutherland Shire and getting to know the children.
“Together we come up with ideas of what their wish could be so Make A Wish can get to work making it happen,” he said.