<div>Hi, I’m Byron Waller.
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<div>I’m a 15-year-old teen pilot with Crohn's Disease on a mission.
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<div>When I was younger, I was sick all the time. I missed school, sports, even birthday parties and Christmas because I was always in hospital or too unwell to get out of bed. In early 2024, thanks to Queensland Children's Hospital and Dr Balouch, I was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a lifelong condition that causes painful inflammation in the digestive tract. It explained everything, but it also nearly grounded my biggest dream: to become a pilot.
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<div>Flying wasn’t just something I loved. It was the one thing that got me going when I was at my worst.
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<div>See video:
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<div><a href="https://www.instagram.com/teenpilotdownunder/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Watch on Instagram</a>
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<div>Flying gave me hope, purpose, and something to fight for.
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<div>It’s always been my escape. It gives me a sense of freedom I don’t have on the ground. Just six months after getting diagnosed, I set out to do something most people wouldn’t dream of: I became the youngest person to fly around Australia, completing a 19-day flight in a small Cessna aircraft. I did it to raise awareness for Queensland Children's Hospital and kids like me.
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<div>I flew over deserts, dodged storms, navigated remote airstrips, met  sick kids and their parents, and aviation legends on my journey. I realised something bigger than flying was happening. I realised my story was giving people hope and showing them what’s possible.
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<div>That flight changed my life. It turned what made me different into a launchpad for showing other kids what’s possible.
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<div>So What’s Next?
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<div>Well… Flying Around the World.
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<div>Now I’m working hard toward my next goal: to fly all around the world departing 2 August 2025. Not alone, but under the supervision of a flight instructor who will be with me in the aircraft for every nautical mile.
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<div>This flight will be about more than aviation. It’s about proving that even when life gets you down or gives you a diagnosis, you can still chase your dreams.....BIG dreams.
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<div>Along the way, I’ll:
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<div>- Visit schools, hospitals, Scouts, and airfields.
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<div>- Speak to kids and families about resilience, health, hope and healing, and chronic illness.
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<div>- Share my journey to show that limits don’t have to define your future
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<div><a href="https://www.teenpilotdownunder.com/fly-with-byron-simulator-challenge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Join Me Virtually – The Simulator Challenge</a>
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<div>This isn’t just my journey - it’s yours too.
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<div>To make sure anyone can be part of this mission, I’m inviting kids, teens, schools, flight sim fans, and supporters everywhere to join my Simulator Challenge.
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<div>- Choose your favourite flight simulator (Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Infinite Flight—whatever you love).
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<div>- Plan how many kilometres or stages you'll fly along with me. Make it your own challenge to start and finish, just like I am.
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<div>- Ask your family and friends to support your virtual journey by donating to this GoFundMe.
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<div>- Share your progress online. Tag @teenpilotdownunder to show you’re part of the team.
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<div>It’s not about how many hours you log, it’s about proving you can set a goal, stick with it, and help someone else fly their dream at the same time.
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<div>I Can’t Do This Alone.
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<div>I’ll need you to help me fly the message.
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<div>I’m raising funds to cover the basic costs of this mission - accommodation around the world, the salary and travel expenses for my flight instructor, fuel, maintenance, landing fees and permits, and communications. I don’t have corporate sponsors or a trust fund. I have people like you who believe in what this flight stands for.
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<div>Your support doesn’t just help me fly. It helps others believe they can too.
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<div>Thank you for being part of the crew, taking on your own challenge, and helping spread a message of resilience, health, hope and healing.
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<div>Fly with me. Dream with me. Let’s prove that limits don’t have to hold us back.
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<div>– Byron
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<div>#FromPatientToPilot
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<div>#TeenPilotDownUnder
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<div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/7NEWSQld/videos/1111612514354893/?fs=e&amp;mibextid=wwXIfr" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/7NEWSQld/videos/1111612514354893/?fs=e&amp;mibextid=wwXIfr" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/7NEWSQld/videos/1111612514354893/?fs=e&amp;mibextid=wwXIfr</a></a>
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<div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1123475436026319/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1123475436026319/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/reel/1123475436026319/</a></a>
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<div><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/videos/latest/teen-pilot-set-to-fly-around-australia-for-important-cause/clxjm5q5800010gn6jpeza25r" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://9now.nine.com.au/today/videos/latest/teen-pilot-set-to-fly-around-australia-for-important-cause/clxjm5q5800010gn6jpeza25r" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://9now.nine.com.au/today/videos/latest/teen-pilot-set-to-fly-around-australia-for-important-cause/clxjm5q5800010gn6jpeza25r</a></a>
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<div><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwdfjt1kQHA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwdfjt1kQHA" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwdfjt1kQHA</a></a>
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<div><a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1203302897422390/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1203302897422390/" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/reel/1203302897422390/</a></a>
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<div><a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&amp;dest=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.couriermail.com.au%252Fquestnews%252Fsouthwest%252Fbyron-waller-14-to-fly-around-australia-after-battling-crohns-disease%252Fnews-story%252F39c66696704a1fe883519bb2f2e9ea78&amp;memtype=anonymous&amp;mode=premium&amp;v21=GROUPA-Segment-2-NOSCORE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&amp;dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.couriermail.com.au%2Fquestnews%2Fsouthwest%2Fbyron-waller-14-to-fly-around-australia-after-battling-crohns-disease%2Fnews-story%2F39c66696704a1fe883519bb2f2e9ea78&amp;memtype=anonymous&amp;mode=premium&amp;v21=GROUPA-Segment-2-NOSCORE" target="_blank" class="" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&amp;dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.couriermail.com.au%2Fquestnews%2Fsouthwest%2Fbyron-waller-14-to-fly-around-australia-after-battling-crohns-disease%2Fnews-story%2F39c66696704a1fe883519bb2f2e9ea78&amp;memtype=anonymous&amp;mode=premium&amp;v21=GROUPA-Segment-2-NOSCORE</a></a>
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From Patient to Pilot: Help Byron Inspire the World

platform

Platform is iOS

Android

Adyen Google Pay Development Audience

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English only

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Adyen V6 Bene Transfer & MyMoney Campaign Organizers - test01

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NextDoor Share Option Users

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GoFundMe Employees

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Mark Rieth IP Address

Version 9.2.0 and above

Fund is in English speaking country

desktop

Android v12.11.0 and above

Platform is Android

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Payment method type group to be vaulted on success

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Payment Identity Transfers ATO Risk Check (Targeted) - Production

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Version 9.2.1 and above

AUD Donation Upsell audience

fundraiserCountryCode is US/EN

Active Fundraiser - Smart Default Cadence

DAF Internal

Vault on success card payment method

Platform is iOS v11.0.0 and above

Desktop users

Person ids

United States (US) users

allow yuno fundraisers for test

Mexico country code

Posters INTL

NPO Profile Opted-In

iOS at or above 12.4.0

non-US recurring donors

Canada Campaign Owner Group

Fundraiser Without Meta Link

Scheduler payment tester gorup

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Charities allow to be claimed unclaimed (PRD)

Canada (CA) users

UC Tipping v20250115 International

pymk_production_xplr_fe_team

Android at or above 12.2.0

Profile photo entry point audience

smart goals (fundraiser/manage) on test01

Activity Tracking v1 Beta Testing

start gfm intl allowed locales

Platform is iOS v11.2.0 and above

NPO upsell education category

unclaimed charities

prod_ach_audience

AI Chatbot Audience

amp13 only new funds (prod) (anyword auto)

UC Flow Enabled (Prod)

Payment Identity Beneficiary Verification - Production

shared notification bell audience

Custom users

ach frontend audience

Android v11.0.0 and above

Users Receiving Payments Paused Notifications

smart goals test01

Manage Coach - US English Organizers Only + new funds only

Team EGG - IP Address list

NPO recommendations prod

Fundraiser Without Instagram Deep Link

Native 11.4.0 and above

UC Tipping v20250107

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Native 11.3.0 and above

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Thank you V3 testing whitelist

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appVersion is at or above 12.8.0

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hasKnownDonors

PYMK has donors

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From Patient to Pilot: Help Byron Inspire the World

Still $7,461 to go. Help us build momentum.