Three-year-old Maeve’s dream day would involve climbing, dancing, laughing and building forts with her big sisters Freya and Shiloh.
The youngest of three girls, Maeve loves, playing in the pool, imaginary play and learning new things.
This was Maeve’s happy, carefree world until everything changed.
Maeve’s symptoms were vague and easily attributable to regular toddler ailments. Maeve first started complaining of a sore head on and off. The GP put it down to a recent virus.
Her mum Amy said her and dad Mitchell became increasingly concerned when Maeve was not her usual bubbly, chatty self, started tilting her head and then seemed wobbly on her feet.
“The tipping point was when Maeve’s wonderful kinder teacher called us to say that Maeve seemed unwell and was a little unstable,” Amy said.
“After the call from the kinder we just knew something wasn’t right. We wanted a scan done to check what was going on. We picked her up from kinder and went straight to the emergency department,” Mitchell said.
To Amy and Mitchell’s complete shock Maeve’s CT scan revealed a large mass located in the cerebellum of her brain.
“There were so many unknowns. What type of tumour is it? Is it cancerous? Can they remove it? Will she be ok?” her mum said.
The family had an excruciating wait for further tests as the hospital team prepared Maeve for major brain surgery.
Given the high-risk location of the tumour, doctors told Amy and Mitchell that the goal of the surgery was just to try and remove as much of the tumour as safely possible.
In the days leading up to surgery, Maeve was admitted to hospital and put on steroid medication to reduce the pressure in her head. It was during this time that the family discovered Starlight.
“Starlight made such a big difference during a really difficult time. As soon as the Captain Starlights arrived Maeve was happy and smiling,” dad Mitchell said.
As Maeve underwent the gruelling 13-hour surgery, all her family could do was wait.
“I’m not sure how we got through that day,” Amy recalls.
Thankfully the surgery was highly successful, and to everyone’s surprise, the surgeons were able to remove all of the tumour.
With one hurdle overcome, the family braced themselves for the biopsy results to find out if Maeve’s tumour was cancer.
Following the surgery, Maeve was in ICU - a time Amy describes as the hardest time of their lives.
“Maeve couldn’t understand what was going on or why. She lost trust in us and in the predictable world she had otherwise known.” she said.
Maeve suffered some complications including internal bleeding requiring further investigations. She had five general anaesthetics in as many days and, with the help of a brilliant team of physios and occupational therapists, had to learn to walk again.
When the biopsy results came in, they revealed what the family had feared. Maeve was diagnosed with brain cancer known as Medulloblastoma.
“Receiving the diagnosis in the first place was scary, then we faced the complexity around treatment options. The worry and anxiety was crushing,” Amy said.
Family life radically changed– both Amy and Mitchell stopped work to care for Maeve. It was an agonising time for Maeve’s older sisters who missed their mum, dad and sister terribly and had a limited understanding of what was going on.
Maeve started intense high dose chemotherapy – admitted to hospital for five days for each round of treatment. The treatment left her feeling extremely unwell. She was often readmitted for weeks for supportive care. Her mum said it’s unrelenting - as soon as she’s almost back to her usual self, the next cycle begins.
With so much of her life filled with hospital, Starlight has helped create vital moments of happiness and given Maeve and her sisters the chance to still socialise and have fun.
Maeve loves making slime in the Starlight Express Room and playing hide and seek with Captain Starlight. She joined in the fun of Book Week in hospital dressed as Elsa from “Frozen”. The Captains helped her celebrate her 4th birthday with games and birthday surprises. All the nurses know that if Maeve isn’t by her bed she must be at “Starlight”.
When Freya and Shiloh visit Maeve, instead of being worried and anxious about hospital, the girls can’t wait to go and play together in the Starlight Express Room.
“We make Starlight the centre of every hospital visit. It helps take away the kids’ fear because they can see that hospital can be a joyful place.” Mitchell said.
Maeve is treated at two different hospitals and Amy said having the consistency of Starlight at both hospitals makes it much easier to manage. “We just say to Maeve we’re going to a new Starlight Express Room!”
Her mum said, “Maeve has been through gruelling treatment but she’s tough! Starlight creates a positive dynamic to hospital and that’s helped her cope with everything. Starlight has given our family refuge from the harsh realities of hospital and treatment. I think in the long-term Maeve might not remember much, but will absolutely have positive memories of Starlight.”
The family is so thankful to Starlight supporters. Maeve’s dad Mitchell said, “We never thought we would need Starlight and now we’ve seen first-hand how every dollar helps families get through these traumatic experiences. To anyone thinking of supporting, I’d say please do! It’s vital that Starlight keep doing what they do bringing joy and happiness to families.”
