BiographyMila is a brilliant and bubbly 10 year old who had never had a health issue in her life! Rarely ever needing to see her GP for even sniffles.
Mila’s illness began with her becoming car sick on a road trip to her Nans house for Easter holidays 2026. Not being a car sick child this was strange but Mila showed no other signs of illness. A week or so later she mentioned she may need glasses because she was seeing double from her left eye.
The next morning she had vomited and something felt off to me so I took her to the ED for assessment where they held her for observation and neurological testing (all of which remained clear)
Not wanting to expose Mila to unnecessary radiation, she was discharged with a possibility of vertigo and an outpatient MRI to schedule when we could get an appointment.
After calling around, I could not get Mila an appointment for a week and a half so I decided to have her eyes tested just incase it was glasses that she needed.
After examination of Mila’s retinas, we were sent back to ED by the optometrist for inter cranial hypertension. (Mila may need a lumbar puncture to relieve pressure)
Returning to ED raised questions on why we had returned and not just waited for the outpatient MRI until I could get the images from the optometrist to show the doctors what was happening.
Mila and I were taken back for a CT scan which revealed a large mass on her brain.
Within an hour we were in talks with Westmead Children’s neurosurgeons and being taken directly to Sydney in an ambulance under lights. (Mila thought this was amazing and hilarious to blast the sirens in the tunnel)
Mila underwent a craniotomy to remove a tennis ball size tumour from the left side of her brain. Later returning a positive result for Grade 3 Ependymoma Brain cancer and since then has completed 33 rounds of radiation treatment while living at Ronald McDonald House Westmead.
Mila has remained her bright and bubbly, positive self not once skipping a beat! She returns to school with her friends on days her energy levels allow and now we are in a holding pattern to see if treatment has worked.
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Patterns
| 1. | Etsy | Stitcher:
Tamara, Canberra, Australia
In Progress
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| Butterfly |
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| 2. | Shannon Christine designs | Stitcher:
Emma-Lee MacMaster, Coffs Harbour, Australia
In Progress
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| Butterfly |
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| 3. | Pattern Templates | Stitcher:
E.E. (Beth) Filmer, Adelaide SA , Australia
In Progress
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| Butterfly |
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| 4. | Ann Logan | Stitcher:
Emma Gray, Crediton, UK
In Progress
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| Butterfly |
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| 5. | Etsy | Stitcher:
Paula Hincks, Deagon, QLD, Australia
In Progress
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| Butterfly |
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| 6. | Artecy | Stitcher:
Genevieve Meadowes, Werribee, Australia
In Progress
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| Blue Ulysses Butterfly |
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| 7. | SparrowHeart | Stitcher:
Val Gilbert , Coningsby, Lincoln, UK
In Progress
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| Butterfly |
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| 8. | Butterfly | Stitcher:
Rae C, Gwandalan, NSW, Australia
In Progress
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| 9. | Stitcheree Designs | Stitcher:
Kathryn A Bradfield, Goonellabah, NSW, Australia
In Progress
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| Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly |
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| 10. | Club point de Croix | Stitcher:
Shona Paterson, Leeton, NSW, Australia
In Progress
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| Butterfly in heart |
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| 11. | Oh My Stitches Shop | Stitcher:
Danielle White, TAIGUM, QLD, Australia
In Progress
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| Morpho Peleides Butterfly Cross Stitch |
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| 12. | Label | Stitcher: Rae C, Gwandalan, NSW, Australia
In Progress |
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