Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Mia with her parents, Mel and Seb. Photo supplied
The Whitsunday community is rallying behind local mother Melanie Russell and her family as her daughter Mia prepares for further surgery and treatment after doctors discovered a brain tumour on her first birthday.
It all started when Mia’s parents first noticed her left eye turning inward in photographs, with the movement becoming more frequent over several weeks.
After seeking medical advice, they were told she likely needed prescription glasses and were referred to an ophthalmologist. As her vision worsened, Mel arranged an urgent appointment with a paediatric optometrist in Mackay.
Despite reassurance at that appointment, Mia became sleepy and lethargic over the following 24 hours. Mel, a nurse at Proserpine Hospital, took her daughter there for assessment before the family travelled to Mackay for further investigations.
An MRI the next morning, on Mia’s first birthday, revealed a large mass on her brain.
“Our world shattered into a million pieces and we will never, ever, be the same way again,” said Melanie Russell.
“Heartbreak, grief, and sorrow hit us like a f**king freight train.”
Mia was medically flown to Brisbane, where she underwent emergency surgery to relieve a build-up of fluid and pressure in her brain caused by the tumour. She was subsequently diagnosed with pineoblastoma, a rare and aggressive brain tumour Mel says makes up 1% of all brain tumors.
In an update since the surgery, Mel shared that the symptoms caused by that pressure have resolved, describing Mia as back to her “normal cheeky, strong-willed, happy self”, sharing some crucial news that the tumour has not spread through her cerebrospinal fluid.
“It’s a miracle,” Mel said.
Mia is now scheduled for further surgery on 12th November in Brisbane, with neurosurgeons aiming to remove up to 95 per cent of the tumour. Chemotherapy and ongoing scans will follow, with overseas therapies also a possibility as her family takes each stage of the treatment plan one step at a time.
“We are staying in Brisbane for as long as we need to, in order to support Mia through this journey,” said Mel.
“She is truly the best of this world and we are so beyond fortunate to be her parents.”
In an effort to rally around the family, donations have poured in from across the community, helping cover lost income and the costs of staying in Brisbane while Mia receives treatment.
With the total already reaching $67,000, Mel and Seb, Mia’s Dad, say they have been overwhelmed by the generosity shown to them.
“The ongoing support from the local community has been nothing short of incredible and overwhelming,” they shared.
“We are so grateful to everyone in Airlie Beach and surroundings that have shown up for us as a family.”
Support has extended beyond GoFundMe, with local businesses lending their support by lending their venues, hosting fundraisers for the family.
It starts on the Friday 13th November, with a Cocktail Club for a Cause night being held at Elementa Whitsundays, followed by Tee Off for Mia at Mulligans Airlie Beach on Sunday 15th November.
“Being parents ourselves and also knowing Mia’s parents, Mel and Seb, hearing the news about her was just devastating,” said Events Executive at 74 Islands Distillery Caitlin McLuskey.
“They are such a wonderful local family who have dedicated their lives to helping our community, and Mia is the most beautiful, happy little girl.”
To support Mia and her family through her treatment, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/princess-mias-fight-for-life
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