Good Will at the handle

By Russell Bennett
WILLIAM Arrowsmith’s wildest dream came true just before 10.30 on Sunday morning.
The brave Gembrook seven-year-old has congenital heart disease and had his first major surgery at just one month old.
But on a cold and frosty Belgrave Sunday morning, nothing could be further from his mind.
The life-long train enthusiast sounded Puffing Billy’s whistle as the (little) man in charge on a heart-warming journey to Emerald’s Lakeside station.
William’s friends and family piled in to the third carriage from the front as the train started to slowly pull away from the platform.
The youngster was veteran Puffing Billy driver John Hoy’s co-driver for the day, thanks to the Cardinia-Casey Make-A-Wish Foundation.
“He’s going to wake up with sore cheeks tomorrow from all the smiling he’s done today,” mum Joanne said.
William had wished for his own model train set, but the Make-A-Wish Foundation decided to go one better – a trip at the helm of the hills’ most famous steam train.
William has spent the past six months in and out of hospital and his family initially feared he would be due for an artificial heart valve replacement in the coming weeks.
“But thankfully it’s lasted longer than expected,” Joanne said.
“Hopefully he now makes it to puberty before the operation.”
William’s love of locomotives was a natural evolution. He can’t help but wave each time he sees Puffing Billy at the Gembrook railway station.
He has Puffing Billy flags scattered throughout the Arrowsmith home and has been counting down the days on a special calendar, in the lead-up to his big day.
“He was a bit worried, actually,” Joanne explained.
“He said to me, ‘Mum, what if I blow the whistle too many times? I’ve never driven a train before!’.”
But William knows all the ins-and-outs of the steam train, from his constant past visits and watching hour after hour of Thomas the Tank Engine on TV.
Joanne, husband Brent and their three other sons Samuel, six, Thomas, 14 and Jack, 16 sat together in the third carriage from the front as William and John powered Puffing Billy towards the Lakeside station. The air was cold on their cheeks as steam and soot swallowed the train but on their special day out, they couldn’t care less. Their smiles were dwarfed only by William’s as the train arrived just prior to lunch.
Joanne said her family had received over 300 cards and messages of support from people throughout Australia, thanks to Make-A-Wish.
“A lot of them were from grown men who had their own model railways as children and remembered the joy they brought,” Joanne said.
“We just want to thank Make-A-Wish, Puffing Billy and Heartfelt photography for everything they’ve done for us.”
And William’s favourite part of his journey?
Blowing the whistle.