Help Evie & Kelly kick Cancer

Hi I'm Jody, and I am seeking support for our dear friends as they battle through every parent's worst nightmare.

After almost 2 years of lockdown, our friend Evie was pumped to enter year 5, in person, with her friends, as were all kids in Melbourne. However, on Wednesday the 2nd of February, after just 2 days back, she woke unwell for the third time in as many weeks. Combined with an uncharacteristic fall a few days prior, mum Kelly decided to take her to the emergency room at Peninsula Hospital. Something was not right.

After an exhausting and scary 9 hours of tests and an MRI, the specialists delivered every parent's worst nightmare...Evie had an enormous brain tumour. The 6x6cm tumour, among other things, had by now eliminated Evie's ability to feel and use her left side, all the while causing excruciating head pain. Evie was rushed to Monash Children's Hospital where she was monitored around the clock.

Next, after a day of scans and planning, an amazing team of Neurosurgeons operated for over 6 hours to remove as much of the tumour as possible. Can you even imagine being in the waiting room? Evie and Kelly then spent 30 hours in intensive care where Evie was monitored 24/7 before being moved to a ward for hourly observations. All they could do was cling onto the hope that the tumour was benign.

Almost a week later, when they thought the worst was behind them, they were given the soul-crushing news that the tumour was malignant. That there is still some left in her brain. Not only that, it is located in a part of Evie's brain that the Neurosurgeon considered too dangerous to operate on during the initial surgery.

Being a grade 3 Ependymoma, the very best way to beat this is to have the entire tumour removed and then radiotherapy with the daunting possibility of chemotherapy as well.

Though it must have felt like years, only 12 days since Kelly decided to head to emergency, Evie has been sent home to recover. In the meantime, the Neurosurgeons, Neuro-Oncologists and others from Monash Children's, the Royal Children's and Peter Mac decide if it's safe to operate again, conduct more tests and devise a battle plan to beat this. And it is a battle, literally life and death.

So why this page? Simple. It is just the two of them, Evie and Kelly, up against this thing. Kelly has stopped working to care full time for Evie, as we all would. Her employer is graciously holding her role, awaiting her return. Still, no company can be expected to pay you for not working, right? Kelly is currently living off of a meagre Newstart payment, while the long process of applying for a carers payment occurs.

As a parent (as I assume many of you are), the choice is easy - stay with and support your child. The financial ramifications, however, make it far from easy. Rent, bills, groceries, fuel, the list is endless and these things just do not stop. This should never happen to a 10-year-old.

It's been a tough few years for everyone, I know that. What I am asking is to put yourself in Kelly's shoes. Imagine the heartbreak you would feel and the strength and energy you would need to support your sick, but brave child. We would like to remove some of the financial stress, allowing the focus of Kelly and Evie to be the recovery, 100% the recovery, of Evie from this illness.

Anything you can spare is appreciated, and we thank you in advance.

Jody.