Five-year-old Milan Mai was preparing to attend her own fundraising night this coming Saturday – dubbed Milan’s Miracle – in an effort to fund her aggressive brain cancer treatment.
Tragically, the little girl from Sydney’s South has died just two days out from the event.
Her official Facebook page announced the heartbreaking news on Thursday, saying she had ‘gained her wings and is now a real Angel flying high.’
On Saturday night five-year-old Milan Mai (pictured) was preparing to attend her own fundraising night
Her official Facebook page announced the heartbreaking news on Thursday, saying she had ‘gained her wings and is now a real Angel flying high’ (Milan Mai pictured)
‘She fought until the very last breath. Please understand Marilee can not respond at this time as this is absolutely devastating,’ the status update read.
Marilee is Milan’s 34-year-old mother, who has been valiantly fighting her cancer battle while raising two other children.
Posting to her daughter’s GoFundMe page, Marilee explained how her ‘eldest child, violinist and ballet dancer’ came to be diagnosed with a rare and terrifying brain tumour.
Posting to her daughter’s GoFundMe page, Marilee explained how her ‘eldest child, violinist and ballet dancer’ came to be diagnosed with a rare and terrifying brain tumour
‘She fought until the very last breath. Please understand Marilee can not respond at this time as this is absolutely devastating,’ the status update read
It started when Milan began complaining of frequent headaches and fell asleep at a birthday party. Marilee knew immediately something was wrong.
‘Our world came crashing down July 17, 2017, with her diagnosis of Medulloblastoma – a very aggressive brain tumour. Her prognosis was supposed to be good with an 80 per cent cure rate,’ the page explained.
‘Our world crashed again when she relapsed with metastasis and leptomeningeal spread during the end of radiation treatment last year. Prognosis now not so good.’
The doctors at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick told the family they’d ‘never seen anything like it.’
The doctors at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick told the family they’d ‘never seen anything like it’ (Milan in the middle with her siblings)
Medical professionals gave the little girl months to live, buying her time with costly and debilitating chemotherapy treatments
‘After three rounds of intensive chemo, she now has widespread leptomeningeal disease. Unfortunately, there is no cure. Prognosis is even worse now.’
Medical professionals gave the little girl months to live, buying her time with costly and debilitating chemotherapy treatments.
‘We pray to God with all our hearts that it somehow kills off the disease for good, or at least long enough for us to try a new treatment,’ the fundraising page said at the time.
‘All donations will go to searching healing or curative therapies for Milan whether it be here in Australia or overseas. If we have to go overseas it will cost big time. But what price is a life? Let alone a child’s life?
The charity night this Saturday, which was supposed to be held at Penshurst RSL, has not yet been cancelled and further updates will likely be posted to the page
Previously, Marilee told Kidspot if they’d waited a week after noticing the headaches last year ‘they would have lost her’
But since that time her and husband Minh have ‘just been existing’ and finding ways to keep Milan ‘happy and alive’
‘It will also be used to try and bring big smiles to Milan’s face.’
The charity night this Saturday, which will be held at Penshurst RSL, will go on in her honour.
‘Our main focus for the event on Saturday will now be to celebrate her life and how hard she fought throughout her journey. We will also be showing a tremendous amount of support for Milan’s family and friend’s, the organisers said.
Previously, Marilee told Kidspot if they’d waited a week after noticing the headaches last year ‘they would have lost her.’
But since that time her and husband Minh have ‘just been existing’ and finding ways to keep Milan ‘happy and alive.’
If you would like to donate to the Mai family’s GoFundMe page you can do so here.