Ellie is a lovely and very active 3-year-old girl. She loves to sing and play with her older sister, Lexie, all day, every day. Her parents, Glenn and Lovella, always have a very positive energy around them and enjoy spending time with their girls as much as they can.
What started off as a normal fever, however, would impact their lives in more ways than one. “Ellie went to the swimming class she always loved, but couldn’t get through it, so I pulled her out and went straight to the doctor”, said dad. Glenn and Lovella took Ellie to 3 different GPs that weekend to try to find out what was happening to her. “Every doctor just treated it like a normal fever, with just some Panadol and Nurofen, but we knew there was something else”.
That Monday, their family GP finally realised there was something wrong and told the family to go directly to Canberra Hospital where mum and dad received the worst news a parent could receive. “They told us that her blood work suggested she might have leukemia”.
“I thought only on the worst part of the situation, are we going to lose her?”. Ellie was 2.5 years old when she was first diagnosed with lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) which, brought only the worst thoughts to her mum’s mind.
That night mum and Ellie flew to Sydney Children’s Hospital, while dad picked up Lexie from school and packed. “They said to pack just for a couple of weeks so I just went home and chucked everything in the car.” However, they would soon find out that their bed would remain unmade for months.
Everything happened so quickly that they didn’t even think about where they were going to stay once they got to Sydney. “At 9pm we started calling hotels, but receptions were closed. Finally, we managed to find a last minute hotel in Coogee for only 3 nights”. This added stress and uncertainty to an already stressful situation. Lucky for them, just a few days later, they were able to move into the Ronald McDonald House. “We were relying on getting a room at RMHC, and then coming here was a big relief.”
For many, Ronald McDonald House is something you never want to need. “I didn’t know anything [about RMHC]. When we went to Macca’s, we gave the coins to the money boxes there. But I didn’t know what services they offer, not any specifics.”
For Glenn and Lovella, coming to the House meant finding comfort, support and a safe place to be together during this nightmare, “I was so overwhelmed to how nice and welcoming and friendly and also talking to Christina […] I broke down crying for about half an hour. She really listened and was really sympathetic.” It was more than just a roof over their heads, it meant finding a supporting community going through the same situation. “Meeting families going through the same situation has been good for mental health, especially when someone is willing to listen to you”.
They found a community they could rely on, services to keep mum and dad at ease, and Lexie happy in her home away from home. “I loved that you guys gave dinner to us. I think it was very nice of you.”, said Lexie. “And making new friends, and the after-school care was really fun, too”. “The teachers, the dinners, all the extra stuff really makes a difference”, said dad. How different it would’ve been for them if they were apart, if Lexie wouldn’t have been able to see her little sister recover a little more each day? For her it meant learning a lot about life in general, “how to adapt, going to different schools and meeting different kids almost every week.”
“A lot of families here are in a much different situation than us, where one of the parents has to go away for a week to work, and then come back over the weekend and help out. Luckily we are not in that position. Life would’ve been much harder for us to be apart with 2 kids.” Apart from the supportive community families find at our House, there is the financial support they find here. Families are able to stay together without paying or worrying about putting food on the table. “You never know […], they may need to rely on RMHC one day.”, said dad. “Knowing that every night you have a place to sleep and have a shower, is a big help for families going through a difficult situation. And that you don’t have to worry about paying or about dinner.”
So what does the future hold for Ellie? She is still in a standing risk category but has a very treatable type of leukemia. The way she has been progressing is promising, “We are looking forward to that part”, said mum.
