A young girl was left fighting for her life after she was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive form of cancer.
Little Vaitiare from Logan, Queensland, is a brave 5-year-old Aussie who was in for devastating news after her family spotted what appeared as a “tiny, harmless” lump on her elbow.
After the girl’s arm started aching, her mom, Gladys Hesse, took her to a hospital for a check-up only for the doctor to send her back home with some painkillers.
The next day, however, the lump grew noticeably bigger and the mother once again took her daughter to the hospital. Following an ultrasound, the lump was confirmed as a tumor, whereas further testing revealed that Vaitiare is suffering from a rare and dangerous type of bone cancer known as Ewing’s sarcoma.
“As a parent you start asking the questions, ‘Why my baby?’, ‘How did this happen?’, ‘Is it something I did?’” Gladys said as she recalled feeling “the full gamut of emotions from sadness, anger, confusion, fear to the hardest one of helplessness” over the heartbreaking diagnosis.
Following the devastating news, little Vaitiare is set to undergo 12 weeks of grueling chemotherapy before doctors will deliberate removing her tumor. Besides the excruciating treatment and recovery process, the 5-year-old could also be facing the amputation of her arm.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has been set up for the young girl’s mother who has been left struggling financially as she allegedly isn’t eligible for government income support because she is a New Zealand citizen living in Australia.
“This will undoubtedly be a long battle for this heartbroken family,” the page, which was created by Hesse’s coworkers, reads.
“There are expenses they will incur – Gladys Vaitare’s mother has taken extended time off work to focus on her daughter’s treatment & unfortunately there is no access to government income support for NZ citizens residing in Australia under SCV.
“Please help them by sharing this link and/or submitting a monetary donation. Any donation will help. No donation is too small. Although reluctant to receive any support this will help the family focus on Vaitiare’s fight.”
What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!