'I thought it was just a nosebleed, then my daughter was diagnosed with leukemia.'

Thanks to our brand partner, Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia

When children become sick or seem more tired than usual, it can be easy to assume they've just caught another bug from school or daycare, or that the exhaustion of a jam-packed schedule has finally caught up with them.

But when five-year-old Rosie began experiencing a host of random symptoms, her mother could never have guessed what was really going on.

"She'd had a nasty ear infection, and we noticed she'd been a bit pale for a while after, but we put it down to her being on the mend," said mum Ayla-Jade. "Then we noticed these really minor nosebleeds, but again, we put it down to the warming weather and didn't think much of it."

However, when Rosie's teacher at school mentioned she'd been falling asleep in class, Ayla-Jade and her husband became concerned. Their instincts led to a GP visit that would change everything.

Image: Supplied.

A shocking diagnosis

The doctor noticed a number of small spots on Rosie's chest and recommended a visit to Kalgoorlie Hospital.

"I took my work laptop with me — I thought we'd be there for a few days and that Rosie might just get an iron infusion," said Ayla-Jade. Instead, after hours of exams and tests, Ayla-Jade and her mother were told that Rosie likely had leukemia.

"I actually had to step out of the room because I was physically sick," said Ayla-Jade.

With her husband back home hours away in Leonora with their two other children, Ayla-Jade was forced to break the news to him over the phone. Not only did Rosie have cancer, she was receiving a blood transfusion and they were travelling 900 kilometres to Perth via the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

There, Rosie's diagnosis of high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia was confirmed. What followed was a three-year-long journey.

A hard reality

Ayla-Jade was forced to quit her job immediately and find accommodation for herself and Rosie. Thankfully, a social worker mentioned Ronald McDonald House Charities, and within a week, the pair had found a place to stay.

Image: Supplied.

"It was an amazing relief to know that we had somewhere to go, and we stayed there for our entire journey," said Ayla-Jade. "It allowed us as a family to really focus on Rosie because we weren't worried about all these external factors — that stress had been taken away."

The location of Ronald McDonald House proved crucial during Rosie's treatment — particularly when fevers struck in the middle of the night.

"I could literally just put her in the wheelchair or stroller and walk 150 metres to the emergency department," she added.

This was a huge relief for Ayla-Jade, knowing they had instant access to medical care when needed. "It meant I wasn't as worried about something going wrong and trying to get her to the hospital in time," she explained. "It made life so much easier."

Very soon, however, Ronald McDonald House became more than just accommodation. It provided something irreplaceable — a new community.

"It started off as somewhere to stay but very quickly became a lot more to us," said Ayla-Jade. "All the staff and the volunteers — it sounds cliché, but they became my family, and they're still my family to this day."

Image: Supplied.

During Rosie's most difficult periods of treatment, including month-long hospitalisations for complications that required medications and constant monitoring, this support network became essential.

"They were there through every part of it, celebrated every time something went well and when I was stressed or worried, they'd sit there and they'd listen."

These connections extended beyond the staff to other families facing similar journeys. "The friendships I've made there — I still contact them, and we still talk," added Ayla-Jade.

While this support was crucial to Ayla-Jade's mental health, it was also vital to Rosie's wellbeing.

"To be able to make all of these beautiful friends and access learning programs with them was amazing," said Ayla-Jade. "They also made every holiday feel special — from Christmas in July to Easter — they 100 per cent succeeded every time."

The emotional weight

"You just cope because you've got to," said Ayla-Jade. "You cry in the shower, and you have your moments, but you don't understand how strong you can be until you have to be."

Beyond chemotherapy, Rosie's treatment also included a range of other medications to treat both her cancer and the side effects of various infections. "She had to take prophylactic antibiotics almost every week because bacterial pneumonia can be very serious," said Ayla-Jade.

Image: Supplied.

"She developed a pseudomonas infection, and we ended up in hospital for about a month because it just wouldn't go away, and while there she developed mucositis, which is an inflammation of her entire digestive tract." 

This meant Rosie stopped eating as it physically hurt to do so. "She was on three different types of opioids to manage the pain and given an NG [nasogastric tube] tube because they needed to keep her medication up."

Other outcomes of her treatment included developing hypertension, skin reactions to her dressings and more. "These kids are having all of these procedures that would probably break an adult," added Ayla-Jade. "I think she had over 400 blood tests during her treatment."

A hopeful path ahead

Today, Rosie is in remission and back at school after three long years of hospitalisations and treatment.

"She's absolutely loving it, and we're going on a Make-A-Wish trip soon to the Gold Coast to see some dolphins, which will be a lot of fun."

In the meantime, the family still return to Perth each month for ongoing monitoring, as Rosie is a high-risk patient. Thankfully, Ronald McDonald House remains their second home. "We're in remission, which is great, and we've finished our treatment," said Ayla-Jade, "but we're still coming back every four weeks for check-ups for now."

After everything the family has been through, Ayla-Jade's one piece of advice to other parents is to always trust their gut.

"If you have that feeling or you notice your child's a bit off, it doesn't hurt to take them to the doctor," she said. "That peace of mind of knowing that it's not anything means everything."

For families facing the unimaginable, Ronald McDonald House provides more than just accommodation; it offers hope, community and the ability to focus on healing when everything else feels overwhelming. Every single donation helps ensure other families don't have to face their darkest moments alone.

To support families just like Ayla-Jade and Rosie, visit here.

Feature Image: Supplied.

Thanks to Ronald McDonald House Charities, families with an ill or injured child undergoing medical treatment can stay close to the care they need. RMHC provides accommodation and support so parents can focus on what matters most - being there for their child.