Ryleigh's Fight for Love and Family

Ryleigh is four years old and lives with her Mum (Katrina), Dad (Jason), sister (Charlotte), and brother (Jacob) in the Manawatu.

Ryleigh had been attending a local kindergarten since she was 3 years old and throughout the year Ryleigh seemed to be catching all the bugs and infections that can be lurking around in any early childhood environment, it seemed to be one illness after the other. With many trips to the Doctor's and with Ryleigh displaying poor health, the Carter family needed some answers and had some blood tests done for Ryleigh.

Days out from Ryleigh's 4th birthday, the blood test results were back on the Monday and they identified that Ryleigh has Leukemia. Everything changed and Ryleigh, her mum Katrina and dad Jason were on the ambulance plane up to Starship Hospital that evening and they arrived at 3:00am on the Tuesday. It was all go from here. Ryleigh had surgery on the day of her arrival to Starship to have a bone marrow biopsy, lumbar puncture, and to put a port in which goes into a vein very close to her heart to administer medication. Ryleigh has B Cell ALL Leukemia, a common cancer in children and one of which has a 90% cure rate; this mixed with Ryleigh's bubbly personality and determination are what the family hold on to.

Ryleigh's journey with Leukemia began in September of 2017 and will be ongoing until her final treatments in November 2019 if all goes to plan. Continuing with ongoing chemotherapy, blood/bone marrow tests, and many trips to the hospital. Ryleigh and her family have a long journey ahead of them, but one that they will go on together, and with Ryleigh being the little fighter that she is the family hope that she will be cured within the next 5 years. Ryleigh is a little trooper and is fighting not only for her health and life, but for love and her family.