Help Our Little Luella Fight Cancer

On August 14th, Luella Akroyd was unexpectedly diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer after a large cancerous tumour was found in her abdomen. This news has devastated her parents, Asher and Keighley, her big sister Mila, and their family dog, Nylah. Our sweet Luella, only 10 months old, is already having to fight for her life.

Luella’s cancer is considered high risk as it has spread beyond the original tumour, with metastatic lesions affecting her liver, lungs and femur bone. The tumour measures 9cm x 9cm and is putting pressure on her major organs. She has already undergone several tests, scans and medical procedures to help stabilise her health as a result of the tumour and cancer. Luella began chemotherapy just four days after her diagnosis.

Doctors at Starship Hospital have prescribed an aggressive treatment plan that, at this stage, will span two years, giving Luella the best possible chance of a full cure. This includes an initial 15 weeks of chemotherapy, surgical removal of the tumour, targeted radiation therapy, bone marrow and stem cell transplant, further chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Ongoing scans will monitor how Luella responds to treatment.

All of Luella’s treatment will take place at Starship Hospital, where she will need to be admitted for weeks at a time, with short periods at home for much needed rest and recovery between each phase of treatment.

Kia kaha, Kia maia, Kia manawanui, Luella. ❤️