When little Canberra boy Dante James was in hospital in Sydney for months battling cancer, the nurses would often call out "Oh, Dante" as they came into the room.
Mum Lianna D'Alessandro said the nurses loved to see her brave little boy.
"Despite being sick at the time, Dante could always brighten up the room with his bright and infectious energy," she said.
Dante was only five-months-old when he was diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer. He spent seven months at the Westmead Children's Hospital having 10 rounds of chemotherapy, as well as a 10-hour operation.
Now aged 22 months, Dante is, thankfully, in full remission, his mum says.
But it was during those long hospital stays that Lianna noticed a way she could make a difference.
Watching her son in bed for long periods at a time, she noticed there was a gap in developmentally-focused products for children undergoing medical treatments.
"Dante stayed in bed all day and didn't have much to work with, aside from a handful of toys and an iPad," Lianna said.
"I realised this was taking a huge toll on him developmentally as he wasn't reaching his milestones and couldn't sit independently. I also knew that so many other children would be in similar situations."
When Dante was discharged from hospital and allowed to come back home to Canberra, Lianna worked on creating a range of "toys with purpose" that children could use in hospital. She called the line "Ohh, Dante" remembering that friendly call from the nurses to her son.
"Ohh Dante was created to bring things back to basics," Lianna said.
"We carefully selected developmental products aligned with the Montessori philosophy, designed to aid children in learning, growing and connecting with their senses.
"But Ohh Dante isn't just a business; it's a vehicle for giving back.
"We donate to organisations close to our heart, support families in need, and ensure that children can play and develop as they should.
"I've personally witnessed how our products facilitate the acquisition of essential skills for early education, including fine motor abilities, language development, and sensory exploration."
While Dante was in hospital, Lianna lived at the Ronald McDonald House in Sydney. She and her husband Thomas James, who works for the Catholic Education Office, also have an older son, Thiago, who is three.
The help the family received from the Ronald McDonald House inspired Lianna to also donate toys to the charity.
"I wanted to set up something where I could donate items to children from all walks of life," she said.
Dante, now nine months cancer-free, along with his three-year-old brother Thiago, serves as the unofficial toy testers for Ohh Dante.
"Both my boys absolutely love the toys," Lianna said.
And Dante? After a tough start to life when he couldn't sit up or feed himself at 12 months old, the little fighter is "catching up hard and fast", his proud mum says.
The full range of toys is at ohhdante.com/
