The daughter of Australian reality TV stars displayed a persistent bruise as the first indication of a rare malignancy.
Carly Saunders and Tresne Middleton rose to fame on Australian reality TV after making their debut on the cooking competition show My Kitchen Rules. However, it was their eight-year IVF battle, which they chronicled on their Instagram page, that propelled them to fame in Australia.
The couple welcomed Poppy Grace into the world on June 2, 2021. Poppy, on the other hand, was identified as having infantile acute lymphoblastic leukemia not long after she was born, which the Mayo Clinic describes as “cancer of the blood and bone marrow — the spongy tissue inside bones where blood cells are made. “.
Poppy lost her battle in February of this year, just four months shy of turning two.
The two are currently discussing the early signs of this unusual illness in an open manner.
“We noticed that she was starting to gain weight in her 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.
However, 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 persisted for five weeks.
Looking back, we wonder how we didn’t notice she was so pale, but we had no idea because it happened so gradually, said Saunders. “.
Leukemia was found in Poppy’s body at the age of just 11 weeks. According to Saunders of 7news, she was our little miracle. “Since 2012, we had been trying to conceive a child. “That evening, we worried that we might lose her. Every day was difficult. “.
Because getting Poppy required such a long journey, she continued, “We didn’t at first believe it.
Poppy had a bone marrow transplant prior to turning one because of her illness. Poppy’s condition began to worsen two days later, and doctors had to inform her parents that she was no longer going to make it.
Middleton recalled, “Doctors advised to spend as much time with her as you can. “.
Because of pharmaceutical studies, they were given an additional eight months, and according to Middleton, “during that time, Poppy came into her own, like we saw her personality, we got to see just what a little shining star she was. “.
However, Poppy passed away on February 16 as a result of an unreported “traumatic” medical event.
In Poppy’s honor, more blood donations have been given, as her parents noted: “It’s astounding how much blood cancer patients in general and kids with cancer need. Blood is severely in short supply right now. “.
The preservation of 4000 lives, according to Middleton and Saunders, is the result of donations made in Poppy’s memory.
We understand how important it was for Poppy and all of her tiny friends who still need blood.
In Poppy’s memory, the couple is still working on their campaign to encourage blood donations and educate parents about the early signs of leukemia.
In their descriptions of Poppy’s symptoms on Facebook and Instagram, they advised parents to be on the lookout for signs like fevers, swollen lymph nodes, joint pain, and headaches. In the case of Poppy, “it was pale skin due to her low [hemoglobin] (red blood cells), large vomits (due to her enlarged spleen), and a persistent bruise that stayed on her leg for weeks (due to low platelets),” they wrote.
