Aussie family 'overwhelmed' by incredible $120,000 windfall after tragic twist with baby girl
Just days after celebrating her first birthday, little Audrey's world was turned upside down by a devastating diagnosis.
The young family's world changed when, on the first day of Brain Cancer Awareness Month, Audrey was diagnosed with the devastating disease. Source: GoFundMe
Surrounded by friends, family and her adoring parents Maddie and Sam, little Audrey Tunks recently celebrated her first birthday.
Guests at the party couldn't help but ask Maddie, "Does she ever cry?" — a reflection of Audrey's happy nature and content spirit. But on May 1, the first day of Global Brain Cancer Awareness Month, the family's world changed. The "beautiful, vibrant" one-year-old was diagnosed with the devastating disease.
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Maddie said after receiving advice that Audrey's head circumference had increased slightly during a Maternal and Child Health Nurse appointment (MCHN), she wasted no time in booking in a scan.
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The family, from Melbourne, were then given the shocking news — Audrey had developed a rare and aggressive type of medulloblastoma, with multiple tumours found in her brain and spine. She has since undergone two brain surgeries, one of which lasted 12 hours. Another was taking place the morning Yahoo spoke to the family this week.
With chemotherapy and more surgeries scheduled, Maddie said it will be some time before a treatment plan is finalised, as doctors first need to determine the specific type of medulloblastoma Audrey has. It's a crucial step, given the several subtypes of the disease, each with distinct genetic profiles and treatment responses.
A rare and fast-growing type of brain cancer, medulloblastoma primarily affects children. It begins in the cerebellum, the part of the brain at the back of the skull that controls balance, coordination, and some motor functions. As a central nervous system tumour, it can spread to other areas of the brain and spinal cord through the cerebrospinal fluid.
Maddie said the road to recovery is long and difficult, and treatment options are limited due to Audrey's age. But despite the overwhelming challenges, Audrey remains cheerful, strong and "ready to fight this".
Audrey Tunks is described by her loved ones as 'beautiful, happy' and a 'fighter'. Source: GoFundMe
Mum's desperate message to parents after daughter's crushing diagnosis
While Maddie is still reeling from how quickly their world changed, she holds on to hope and is determined to raise awareness for other families facing the same devastating diagnosis. She encourages all parents to take MCHN appointments seriously, even if their child is seemingly healthy.
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"I really would like to stress the importance of going," she told Yahoo. "I have so many friends who have babies, and so many of them go, 'Oh, my baby's happy, healthy. There's nothing developmentally going on. It's fine if I miss it'.
"We had no reason to know that anything was going wrong, she was literally her happiest self. And if we hadn't gone to that appointment, we wouldn't have picked this up, because there were no signs. Had we not gone to that appointment, who knows how bigger the tumours would have grown, or how much more they would have metastasised."
Parents Sam, left, and Maddie, right, with one-year-old Audrey. Source: GoFundMe
To make matters more difficult, Maddie and Sam have another child Elliot who is also a toddler. Additionally, the young mum said it's not as though the family attend the hospital at intervals. "We haven't been in and out of the hospital," she said. "We've just been in".
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"My partner and I continue to have very big moments of heartbreak, but we're trying to just stay hopeful at the same time. Trying to balance life with Elliot at home and Audrey in the hospital, you just can't be next to each other all the time, which is really hard for us."
The emotional and financial strain on the family is immense, especially as both parents have stepped away from work. To support them, a fundraiser has been launched to help cover medical and daily expenses, as well as potential future treatments.
Maddie says she's "incredibly overwhelmed" by the $120,000 already donated and thankful for the community support the family has received. "Because of the generosity, we've been given the most important gift in this world — time together as a family... away from work and to focus on our babies," she said, encouraging people to donate blood if they're able to, after Audrey required a full blood replacement during surgery.
"Every type of cancer is shit. But this one is really, really bad," Maddie said. "It's brain cancer awareness month, so let's raise some awareness."
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