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Join Alma's family and walk to help kids with cancer

Thursday 12 March 2020 in Patient stories

Mette thought it was unusual when her daughter, Alma, favoured her left hand when she was getting dressed one day. After continuing to avoid using her right hand, Alma was taken to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in April 2019 and was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

“You never think this could happen to your kids and suddenly you receive the worst message you ever thought possible,” said Mette. “Your own little, innocent and beautiful five-year-old girl has a large, disgusting, brain tumour deep inside her head.”

The tumour, called Thalamic Pilocytic Astrocytoma, was growing in a deep-seeded part of Alma’s brain making it inoperable and the only way to treat the tumour was with chemotherapy.

After receiving chemotherapy for nearly a year at the Cancer Centre for Children at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead Alma is doing well, and to the relief of her mother Mette, her father Claus and four-year-old brother Viggo, her brain tumour is shrinking.

“Alma’s been responding amazingly well to the medicine. From the beginning she’s had this mindset of constructive, fighting spirit, and has just been positive as well,” said Claus. “Alma’s become our biggest inspiration.”

As she continues to improve, Alma and her family have made the Cancer Centre part of their routine.

“In the beginning, Westmead was a place of despair but has now become our place of hope, understanding and comfort.

“Even though the circumstances have been tragic, as a family we have learnt that time is precious. You have to cherish all moments and do not stop striving to make dreams come true,” said Claus.

Alma and her family are supporting the Bob ‘Tug’ Wilson Walk for Kids with Cancer which, due to coronavirus safety measures, has been changed this year. The physical walk due to take place on Sunday 29 March 2020 has been cancelled, but the good news is it has been replaced with a virtual walk

Alma is our 2020 Ambassador, and every step you you walk will help a child with cancer, just like her.

Watch Alma's story in this video.

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