Today Indie had her initial appointment at the Proton centre and we met the lovely team who will be supporting her and us in the coming weeks. We now have 7 days to explore Atlanta while the team plan a treatment specific to Indies needs, which will begin next week.
Tuesday last week we received final sign-off for Atlanta. Within 24 hours our flights were booked, and just two days later we were on our way.
With flight delays, missed connections, and lost baggage, the two days of travelling took a heavy toll on Indie. It resulted in an overnight stay at the Children’s Hospital in Atlanta due to dehydration and low blood sugar. Thankfully, after fluids, glucose, and a new NG tube, she is now feeling much better.
This week we will be meeting with the team at the proton therapy centre to plan the start of her treatment.
We have also been incredibly fortunate to be supported by a New Zealand family living in Atlanta. They have gone above and beyond for us in our first few days here — even meeting us at the airport at midnight with their own little one in tow. They had never met us before and knew us only through our story, yet their kindness has meant more than words can say.
Christmas is a little different for us this year. There were moments earlier in the year when we weren’t sure what tomorrow would look like, let alone whether we would still have Indie with us this Christmas. To now be here, all together as a family, is something we are incredibly thankful for. Our Christmas is filled with gratitude, but it is also filled with fear. We are so thankful to have Indie here with us, but that doesn’t erase the anxiety that sits underneath it all, an anxiety many won’t ever fully understand.
Indie is currently doing well, but she continues to navigate the after-effects of chemo. She is still battling a slow, sore gut and a poor appetite, and earlier this month she had a brief stay in Timaru Hospital with a fever. She is incredibly tough, but it’s a reminder that this journey is far from over.
We are still waiting for a confirmed date to travel to Atlanta for the next phase of Indie’s treatment. The waiting, without clear timelines, is exhausting and it scares the hell out of us. While we remain positive about the treatment ahead, the uncertainty is incredibly hard to live with.
Thank you to everyone who continues to stand beside our family. We will update everyone as soon as we have a confirmed date for Atlanta.
Hello the Todd family, I want to wish you Merry Christmas and love always Great Aunty Heather xxxx
Todd family are still awaiting confirmation on their treatment in USA.
We want to say another huge thank you to everyone who has donated through Givealittle or supported any of the incredible fundraisers over the past few weeks. We’ve been absolutely blown away by the kindness and generosity shown by our friends, our family, and often, complete strangers.
While we’re still facing big challenges and a lot of uncertainty, your support has taken a huge weight off our shoulders. It allows us to focus on making decisions based solely on what’s best for Indie and for our family and for that, we are so grateful.
Since Indie finished her final cycle of chemotherapy a few weeks ago, we’ve been back home in Timaru. It’s been wonderful to be home, but it also brings new challenges. Right now we’re in complete limbo as we wait for a confirmed date to travel to the United States for proton therapy. At this stage, all we know is that contracts are with the lawyers, and we still don’t know where we’ll be for Christmas.
After three rounds of high-dose chemotherapy, Indie’s recent MRI showed a continued reduction in the size of her tumour. We are relieved and encouraged to see the cancer responding to treatment, but we know there’s still a long road ahead, and we’re eager to move into the next phase as quickly as possible.
Hopefully our next update will be coming to you from an airport. Thank you again for all your support and love. 💜
Thinking of you and your family Shaun. I can't imagine the emotional roller-coaster this has been for you all. Wishing Indie the best possible outcome. xx
As Indie completes her sixth cycle of chemotherapy, it’s hard to truly comprehend everything she has faced over the past six months. One of the most powerful ways to visualise her journey so far is through her Beads of Courage. Each bead represents a milestone, treatment, or experience that Indie has bravely endured — a tangible story of her strength and resilience.
To date Indie has collected 826 beads
• Black beads mark every blood draw (263)
• White beads for each dose of chemotherapy (20)
• Yellow beads for overnight hospital stays (108)
• Rainbow beads for support people like play specialists, dietitian, physiotherapist
• Special beads for moments like birthday in hospital, losing her hair, and when her baby brother Hudson was born.
• Fish beads for hospital transfers and long-distance travel for care.
• Star beads for operations and surgeries.
• Lime beads for isolation or neutropenia (28)
• Bumpy beads for the challenges of learning to walk again and overcoming medication challenges/reactions
• Light green beads for scans and tests (34)
• Red beads for blood transfusions.
• Purple beads for IV infusions.
This is only to name a few
Each bead tells a story — a reminder of her courage, her battles, and her incredible spirit. The reality of having a three-year-old spend so much time in hospital hits home in moments like when Indie recently saw an ambulance and said, “Look, Mum - that ambulance is going to the hospital where we live.”
Indie has now completed cycle 5 of 6 rounds of chemotherapy.
These last three rounds are high-dose chemo – her doctors described it as a “lethal” dose. To survive it, she needs a stem cell transplant each time, otherwise the treatment would destroy her bone marrow.
The good news is Indie handled this cycle really well. Unlike cycle 4, where she needed days on morphine for pain relief, this time she didn’t need morphine at all.
During high-dose chemo she becomes neutropenic – meaning her immune system is wiped out and she has no defence against infection. Because of this she must stay isolated in a pressurised hospital room, unable to leave. It was challenging to keep Indie occupied while confined to her room for so long - but she coped incredibly well.
Yesterday we arrived home, likely for about a week. Indie loves being back with family – it reminds her what "normal" life looks like and she loves the freedom.
We are still waiting on final confirmation of funding for Proton Therapy in Atlanta, but all signs are looking positive.
Since her story was shared by the Timaru Herald, The Press, ODT and Oamaru Mail, the support has been overwhelming. From donations here to fundraising offers, we are so grateful to have such amazing people in our corner for our wee girl.
We’ll share details of upcoming fundraising events soon – thank you all so much for standing with Indie. 💖
What was once only a possibility is now becoming a reality — after Indie’s sixth cycle of chemotherapy (she’s currently in cycle 5), we are likely heading to the USA in late 2025/early 2026 for treatment. This could mean 8–10 weeks overseas, at short notice.
We’ve been absolutely blown away by the generosity shown here on Givealittle. Your support has carried us this far, and we are so deeply grateful.
As we prepare for the next stage, many of you have asked how you can help. Until now we’ve mostly said no, but the truth is we can’t do this alone. If you’d like to support, share fundraising ideas, or volunteer your time, we’d love to hear from you.
📧 Get in touch: fundraising4indie@gmail.com
Every bit of support helps us keep our family together while Indie takes on this fight. Thank you for being in her corner. 💖
On the 19th of August, Indie spent her third birthday in hospital. She is currently in the 4th of 6 chemo cycles. Her first high-dose round, which brings tougher side effects and a slower recovery.
It wasn’t the birthday we wished for our little girl, but we did everything we could to make it special. Her room was decorated pink, she was spoiled with presents (including a pink ride-on Jeep!), and the wonderful CHOC nurses even sang her Happy Birthday.
With almost no immunity, she was kept in isolation, but later that evening the nurses gave her a treat, letting her take a few laps of the ward in her Jeep! The days that followed were tough, but true to form she coped better than expected, proving her incredible strength once again.
On the 28th of August she finally got to drive her Jeep outside, back to Ronald McDonald House after being discharged. We’ve since had a short break at home in Timaru, where she has loved being in her own room and with our dog, Daisy, before starting cycle 5.
Indie, we love you more than words can say. We’re so sorry you didn’t get the third birthday you truly deserved, but we are endlessly proud of the way you face everything that comes your way.
Thank you to everyone who continues to support us. Your kindness and generosity mean the world and give us strength.
Happy Birthday, Indie Pops ❤️
Indie has now completed her 3rd cycle of induction chemo and besides a recent week long stint in hospital with sepsis she has handled it as well as you would expect for a 2 year old. A recent hearing test showed minimal to no hearing loss which we are relieved about.
We managed to pop home for a couple of nights for the first time since her diagnosis (in early May) and Indie was so happy to be back. She ran around excited to play with her toys and in her own space again. We also got to welcome Hudson to his home for the first time.
We are hoping in some of the later cycles there may be the opportunity to pop home for short stints also.
Thank you to family, friends, neighbours, colleagues etc for your continued support.
Indie has recently had a few more regular gaps in hospital stays allowing us as a family to stay together at Ronald MacDonald house and get out and about in Christchurch and do some "normal" things; beach trips, Timezone and walks to feed the ducks.
We have been truly humbled by the donations and messages coming through this page. Your support means I can stay here in Christchurch with Haylee, Indie and Hudson without needing to rush back to work. That is a huge weight off our shoulders, especially with Hudson just arriving. Not knowing how long this journey will take or how long I will need to be off work, every bit of support helps keep our family where we need to be — together.
Tomorrow, Indie starts chemo cycle three of six. Cycle two was thankfully a little easier than the first, which meant we could spend more time together, staying at Ronald McDonald House and managing her chemo and checkups as an outpatient. She continues to amaze us with her strength and resilience. Hudson is thriving too, and watching Indie step into her role as big sister has been really special.
We might not always manage to reply, but we see every message and donation. Thank you for standing with us. From our whole family, we are forever grateful.
