A chronic bruise was the first indication that the daughter of Australian reality TV stars was suffering from a rare cancer.
Carly Saunders and Tresne Middleton rose to fame on Australian reality TV after their appearance on the cooking competition show My Kitchen Rules. However, their eight-year IVF struggle, which they documented on their Instagram page, is what made them well-liked celebrities Down Under.
The couple welcomed Poppy Grace into the world on June 2, 2021. The Mayo Clinic defines Poppy’s condition as “cancer of the blood and bone marrow—the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. Poppy was diagnosed with infantile acute lymphoblastic leukemia not long after she was born.
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In February of this year, Poppy passed away after a protracted battle, just four months shy of turning two.
The two are now openly discussing the early signs of this rare illness.
“We noticed that she was starting to develop a belly. As a result, it was somewhat distended. Additionally, Middleton said that when she was eating, she would frequently throw up in a large amount.
But the two claimed that Poppy’s persistent thigh bruise was the real red flag.
“With leukemia, if they’re pale, if they have bruises, or if they’re bleeding excessively, those are usually signs that the disease is affecting their marrow and consequently their blood,” says Saunders. “.
Poppy’s bruise remained visible for five weeks.
According to Saunders, “Looking back, we wonder how we missed noticing she was so pale, but we had no idea because it happened so gradually. “.
When leukemia was found in Poppy’s body, she was only 11 weeks old. Saunders told 7news that she was their “little miracle.”. “Since 2012, we had been trying to conceive a child. “We worried we might lose her that night. Every day was difficult. “.
Because it had taken us such a long time to get Poppy, we didn’t at first think it was possible.
Poppy had a bone marrow transplant prior to turning one because of her illness. But Poppy’s condition started to get worse two days later, and doctors had to tell her parents the bad news.
Doctors advised spending as much time with her as you can, Middleton recalled. “.
As a result of pharmaceutical studies, they were given an additional eight months, and according to Middleton, “Poppy came into her own during that time, like we saw her personality, we got to see just what a little shining star she was. “.
Nevertheless, Poppy passed away on February 16 as a result of an unreported “traumatic” medical event.
As Poppy’s parents observed, “It’s astounding how much blood cancer patients in general and children with cancer need.” The number of blood donations made in Poppy’s honor has increased.
Blood is extremely scarce right now.
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4000 lives have allegedly been saved as a result of donations made in Poppy’s memory, according to Middleton and Saunders.
We are conscious of how crucial it was for Poppy and all of her tiny friends who still need blood.
In Poppy’s memory, the couple is continuing their campaign to encourage blood donations and educate parents about leukemia’s early warning signs.
They discussed Poppy’s symptoms on Facebook and Instagram, warning parents to watch out for signs like fevers, swollen lymph nodes, and joint or headache pain. They noted that Poppy’s symptoms included pale skin brought on by low [hemoglobin] (red blood cells), frequent vomiting brought on by an enlarged spleen, and a persistent bruise that persisted on her leg for weeks due to low platelets.
