Our lives were turned up side down again in October 2024. We were in Brisbane for Ava's 2 yr check up and got the horrible news with Ava relapsing again with neuroblastoma back in her bones. So here we are back in this nightmare fighting again for life. This nightmare will haunt us all for the rest of our lives no matter the outcome. The first time was hard we lost everything and had to start again. We just got our life back together and now we r backing again for everything.

In March 2021 one month before her 8th birthday my daughter Ava was diagnosed with stage 4 high risk neuroblastoma. 

Ava had an 8cm x 8cm tumour that had spread throughout her abdomen and wrapped around her left kidney, adrenal gland and the main artery going to her hear. She also has it in nearly every bone in her body.

Ava is currently going through 18 months worth of on going treatment at Queensland children’s hospital. 

I have had to quit my job to care for Ava full time. My other 2 children Ava’s brother and sister have had to go live with their grandparents in another town, change schools. 

Ava has had 5 rounds of induction chemotherapy. She has lost her hearing due to the chemotherapy. She now requires hearing aids for the rest of her life. 

Ava had surgery to remove the 8cm x 8cm tumour, left kidney and adrenal gland. She is currently on her first bone marrow transplant. She will have her second bone marrow transplant in another few weeks. 

Following that she will have 5 weeks of radiation and another 6 mths of immunotherapy. After 18 mths of treatment we will still have very regular appointments as Ava is high risk of relapse.