Sydney mum of three young children, Grace, is a schoolteacher and yoga instructor, but her hard won calm was shattered when daughter, Raya, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia at the age of 4. It’s for Raya that Grace is supporting Australian Cancer Research Foundation by participating in the Real Insurance Harbour 10 run again this year.
After 5 months of high levels of chemotherapy, Raya still had leukaemia cells detected in her bone marrow. “They said that if she didn’t respond to treatment, this was it – we had limited options,” Grace recalls.
Raya’s outcome depended not only on finding a treatment that would eliminate the cancer cells but on a bone marrow transplant to give her healthy, new bone marrow cells.
“So, we opted to use her father as her donor. As parents, we are 50% matches for Raya. We had no guarantee the transplant would work – we were told there was a risk of her dying during the transplant, a risk she would come out of the transplant with cancer cells … if this was the case – we were told to ‘make memories’ before we say goodbye.
“We lived in a state of complete uncertainty, fear, and hope.”
Their risk paid off, the transplant worked, and Raya went on to clear two years of bone marrow biopsies, cancer free. She is now 8 years old. She is living her best life with two older siblings by her side who were her greatest cheerleaders and support.
“A true miracle that the transplant worked. I will never forget the morning I heard the news that she was finally cancer free.
“It is also very clear to me that had Raya been born 20 years ago – she would not have survived. Advancement in research is absolutely necessary to help more challenging cases – and in fact, ALL cases of cancer. The better treatment we get, the higher the rate of survival and the better the outcomes, and hopefully, with fewer long-term side effects.
“Chemotherapy and radiation are VERY harsh treatments given to young children,” Grace says. “The long-term effects are absolutely devastating. You save your daughter’s life, but it comes with a ransom. She will be monitored her whole life and will have lifelong issues. It is heart breaking. Better medical treatment, I hope, will bring less aggressive treatment. That is my motivation, alongside advocating for the bone marrow registry and blood donations and families who have suffered through childhood cancer.
“I am running for children like Raya. I am running for the children who are in hospital who are going through treatment. I am running to get the word out that YOU could save a life by getting on the registry…I am running to help myself heal. I am running in honour of my little girl.”
If you would like to show your support for ACRF-funded cancer research that helps families like Grace and Raya’s then donate here: Run for Raya in 2025 Real Insurance Harbour 10
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