In mid-2018, Mila had symptoms of what was thought to be influenza, coupled with unexplained bruising. She just didn’t seem to be able to recover from her illness and was soon showing other symptoms like a bloody nose and high temperatures. As weeks went by she started losing the colour in her skin, and her lips became blue.  

 Mila’s mother, J’nae suggested she take some time off kindy but Mila would cry and insist she was feeling better. In term three of kindy, her health took a steep decline – she had lost weight, her appetite and had become even more pale. 

 A week after her fifth birthday in September, Mila was so fatigued she would spend most of the day on the couch and would refuse to eat or drink. It got to the point where Mila’s legs were so sore that she didn’t want to walk. Mila’s mum was convinced it was a virus and was concerned that it had not yet gone away, but never thought for a moment it could be leukaemia.  

 After her first doctor’s appointment, the doctor prescribed antibiotics, thinking Mila had tonsillitis. After a second trip to Mila’s regular GP, she was admitted to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital where she was given fluids and blood transfusions. It was during this admission that the Seeley family found out Mila had Leukaemia.