When Aimee’s daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, she had no idea how much she'd need her community.

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“My beautiful daughter Ella – what can I say? She has always been a bubbly, confident social butterfly, inclusive of everyone and involved in many different activities. Now Ella is still our beautiful girl, however, her confidence has dampened, and her outgoing bubbliness fluctuates depending on how unwell and emotional she is feeling.” 

It was in July of this year where Ella, her mum, Aimee, and the rest of their family's lives changed dramatically. 

“I found [Ella’s] face severely swollen and almost unable to keep her left eye open. It looked as though she was having an allergic reaction, however, I noticed her lymph nodes were very prominent on her face and cheeks, and the glands swollen in her neck,” Aimee tells Mamamia.

After taking Ella to the emergency department of their local hospital in Canberra, Ella was airlifted the following day to Sydney Children’s Hospital Randwick, where Aimee says, “our lives were about to be rocked.”

Ella was ultimately diagnosed with T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic leukaemia (a form of blood cancer) and a mediastinal chest mass. 

“When Ella was first diagnosed, I felt as though I was hit by a freight train, living in my worst nightmare. I cried enough tears the next week to fill a small creek, and I was simply putting one foot in front of the other each and every day to get through,” she explains.

Ella’s reaction to her diagnosis though was different.

“Ella was told her diagnosis right from the beginning so that she could process it, yet she was so quiet, just taking it all in her stride,” she says.

Despite Ella’s bravery, the now wheelchair-bound 11-year-old was naturally still afraid and unsure of what her diagnosis meant.

“Throughout the journey, there have been many challenges, lows and fear. Out came the hard-hitting questions from our 11-year-old girl: 'Will I die?', 'How long will I have to fight the cancer for?', 'Will it hurt?'. Questions as parents we couldn’t completely answer because we too didn’t know them,” says Aimee.

Thankfully Ella’s cancer is treatable but the treatment, six blocks of chemotherapy over a period of six-eight months, is lengthy and intense which means Ella will need to remain in Sydney for its duration in order to manage the side effects.

Ella was hospitalised for the first 96 days after her diagnosis but has since been able to stay at Ronald McDonald House in Randwick, where she will remain for the subsequent rounds of chemotherapy.

She is also joined by the rest of her family: her two younger siblings and Ricky, Aimee’s partner, who relocated from the ACT to Sydney, something Aimee says was emotionally important for the entire family unit.

Ella and her two siblings. Image: Supplied.

“The technicalities were the last thing we thought of – we were just purely focused on what Ella needed and the importance of her having family around her – the rest had to be dealt with later on,” she says.

Aimee says she became familiar with and involved in Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) while living in Canberra where she cooked for their program, Meals from the Heart.

“Ella and I had also previously made up art packs and gifts for the children staying at Ronald McDonald House in Canberra to improve their time there. The first time we did this, we used Ella’s pocket money because she started the idea and wanted to give to the community,” says Aimee.

“Using knowledge of our past experience and also speaking with our social worker at the hospital, I was made aware of the Ronald McDonald House here in Randwick. We applied to be added to their waitlist as the house was initially full. It was an important step for us as we knew the potential for obtaining a home away from home with Ronald McDonald House Charities,” she adds.

The family was soon offered a place.

“Being a part of the Ronald McDonald House Randwick family is wonderful! There are always smiling faces in the office reception as you walk in the door after a long day at the hospital. There are always open arms for a hug when needed or to sit and chat with no judgement,” she says.

Ella. Image: Supplied.

For Aimee and her family, it has also offered some consistency.

“The large kitchen is wonderful – as a family of five, to be able to cook and maintain normality of dinners together is important to us,” she says.

In addition, the communal areas such as the lounge room, playroom and backyard are great for the kids to stay entertained, while RMHC’s facilities and programs such as the Ronald McDonald Learning Program for school-age children staying at the house allows them to keep up academically.

Aimee says the staff are also able to point the family in the right direction to obtain any additional services such as financial or psychological support throughout the process.

Along with the “warm and friendly RMHC community”, Aimee says that her family and Ella could not have managed without many others who have helped them along the way.

“Along our journey, we have had many offers of help – physical, emotional, financial.” 

This has included Ella's school who have helped run fundraisers and have sent care packages and messages, local cleaners in Canberra who completed their end-of-lease cleaning, and a storage company in Canberra who is housing their entire house full of belongings, free of charge.

In addition, Aimee says their local church community and family and friends have been absolutely critical.

“The saying, it takes a village, cannot ring truer. Throughout this horrid tornado of a cancer journey, we have learnt just how big our village is and how loved and supported we really are.”

For over 40 years, Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia have been providing much needed support to seriously ill children and their families. 

On Saturday 19th November, Macca’s will be celebrating McHappy Day with all funds raised going directly to RMHC. To support all the important work they do, head to your local Macca’s to buy a pair of Silly Socks for $5 or a Helping Hand for $2, $10 or $50, with all proceeds going directly to RMHC.

Find out more about how you can support McHappy Day.

Feature Image: Supplied.