Milekas journey continues

Mileka’s journey continues...

Mileka has been fighting cancer since 2015 but that is only part of what this little fighter has had to endure over the past nearly 3 years.

Each day we have with Mileka is a blessing. She is a true fighter and the bravest, brightest 8 year old I have ever had the pleasure to know.

The following is the timeline of her journey so far:

• Mileka started corrective casting on her right leg for talipes(clubfoot) on 9 January 2015

• She was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma in her Right humerus 23 April 2015

• Corrective surgery for her talipes was put on hold as chemotherapy had commenced a week after diagnosis.

• The cancer continued to grow and the oncology team recommended amputation of her arm as the best treatment for stopping the growth. The amputation was performed on 29 June 2015.

• Chemotherapy commenced until December 2015.

• Started corrective casting for her talipes again on 24 Feburary 2016

• She was then diagnosed with a Pulmonary Relapse(cancer tumors on her lungs, corrective casting was once again put on hold.

• She completed 4 cycles of Salvage IE chemotherapy until August 2016

• The lung tumors where surgically removed on 14 September and 12 October 2016

• Once again corrective casting on her foot started on 18 February 2017

• She had her corrective surgery on her foot performed on 22 June 2017 along with her portacath removal.

• Mileka’s family then heard on the 11 August (the day her final cast was removed and she was going to be free to move around freely) that her routine 3 monthly CT scan results came back with another Pulmonary relapse.

• Mileka is scheduled to have surgery to remove the tumors in the following few weeks and the oncology team will make a decision after as to what further treatment may be needed .

To date Mileka has collected approximately 1400 beads of courage. She receives them for each blood test, procedure, treatment or surgery she has had to endure.

Mileka and her family have been though a tremendous amount of emotional and financial stress over these years but Mileka still has the strength to fight and is always trying to make everyone around her happy and not worry.

The family live in Hamilton and have to make the journey to Auckland’s Starship hospital for treatments which is almost a 2 hour trip each time.

This adds to a lot of the financial strain they have. I would like to help with setting up this page and asking for some generous donations to help take some of this burden off their shoulders.