Poppy's Story
Poppy is a little girl with a whole lot of fight.
Poppy’s mum and dad, Casey and Murray, received the devastating news that their six-year-old daughter had Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia on Valentine’s Day in 2018. Within two hours, Poppy and her mother were on a flight from their home in Glen Innes to travel 450km to see their nearest children’s oncologist in Newcastle.
Poppy’s treatment started immediately.
Her journey began with a full day of testing to get a clear picture of how far the cancer had spread. Two days after she arrived in Newcastle, Poppy had her first round of chemotherapy to help treat the cancer.
Poppy and her mum didn't pack much for their trip, as they were unaware how long they would be away. Poppy's dad remained at home to ensure he could work to support the family and look after her brother, Percy.
During Poppy's treatment, the family, including brother Percy, wanted to be together, so dad Murray made the tough decision to close the doors on their family restaurant and follow Poppy to Newcastle.
Together, the family have shown great strength in supporting Poppy through her treatment at John Hunter Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.
They credit that they were able to be by her side thanks to the accommodation support provided by our Newcastle based Ronald McDonald House, which is right next door to where Poppy receives her treatment.
After her initial long stay, Poppy and her family were able to go home, but still visited often for her ongoing treatment.
Over the past three years, Poppy has visited Ronald McDonald House Charities in Newcastle on multiple occasions so she can continue to receive the medical care she needs. Just last month, Poppy received the amazing news that her treatment has been successful and she should no longer need the support of our house.
While we won't have Poppy's visits to look forward to, the family has been amazing at sharing updates about how Poppy is doing. And she has stayed connected with us in other ways.
"Each and every one of you has left an indelible mark on our family. During our time at Ronald McDonald House, your smiling faces, good humour, compassion and empathy made even the hardest days that much easier.
Ronald McDonald House truly is 'The House that Love Built'.
Having gotten through our struggles, it will be a bright future for Poppy and Percy and this is in no small part due to the love and nurturing they received during our time at Ronald McDonald House."
- Poppy's Mum and Dad
Poppy is thriving at school. She even welcomed the riders for our Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern NSW Ride for Sick Kids to her school recently.
Poppy is thriving at school. She even welcomed the riders for our Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern NSW Ride for Sick Kids to her school recently. Poppy and her family have visited our friends and founding Mission Partner, McDonald's, during the big trip home from her treatments in Newcastle. This is a nice photo of one of her visits with her brother Percy.
And most importantly, Poppy has completed her last round of treatment for her Leukaemia.
