Danielle's Difference

~ About Danielle's Difference ~

Imagine taking your newborn baby home from the hospital, being told she was perfect and healthy, only to return two weeks later to find out that she has no chance of living and would only be with you for a few more hours. I am sad to say that this happened to my partner, Reece and I in March this year.

My first born daughter, Danielle Joan Boothby was born on the 12^th February 2011. She seemed happy and healthy up until the 26th February. We had left the hospital after her birth being told that she was perfect and healthy. She was well settled at home and we had no indication that there was anything to worry about. The night of the 26^th, she suddenly became sick at 2 weeks old. After a couple of days of uncertainty, Ultrasounds, CT Scans, MRIs and MRAs, we had to hear the most heart wrenching words from one of the leading neurologists in Australia, Dr Brian Owler, on the night of the 28th February "Danielle has a brain tumour... unfortunately it is the part of the brain I cannot touch". To then hear that she only had between an hour and a day to live from that diagnosis made the news even harder to deal with. Danielle, however, had different plans. Despite her deteriorating condition, her strength saw her spend a further 9 days with us. She had, in total, gone almost 11 days without food or fluids, as she was too sick to keep anything down, and had her jaw shut tight most of the time.
 
Danielle had an atypical teratoid rhabdoid congenital brain tumour which was rare, highly malignant, aggressive and fast growing.
 
We had spent the week and a half with her in a private hospital room (just her, my partner Reece, and myself). We spent time together as a family, sang to her, read to her, tried to comfort her and give her a lifetime of love in the short time that we had left with her. One of us was always holding her hand and we couldn't take our eyes off her. We kept thinking of the beautiful life we had planned for her, what school she would go to, and then these thoughts turned into wondering how much longer she could possibly stay in this world in her condition. Her strength has made us stronger people, despite how upsetting and devastating it has been for us. We would not want to wish what we have been through on our worst enemy.
 
Danielle's pain ended when she passed at about 2am on the 9th of March.

Children’s Cancer Institute Australia (CCIA) is the only independent medical research institute in Australia dedicated to research into the causes, prevention, better treatments and ultimately, a cure for childhood cancer.

Every dollar raised through Danielle's Difference will go directly to CCIA, and every dollar helps. This year, 600 Australian children will be diagnosed with cancer and, tragically, 150 will lose their battle with this disease. Our beautiful angel Danielle is apart of this terrifying statistic. The majority who survive will have one or more chronic health problems as a direct result of their treatments, ranging from infertility to learning difficulties. CCIA is committed to continuing research until all children with cancer can be guaranteed a future and their quality of life improved.

Danielle has made a huge difference to our lives, and this fundraising will be Danielle’s contribution toward the cure for childhood cancer, in the hope that families in the future will not have to endure what we went through – and are still going through – right now.

Thank you in advance for your support and generousity.


~ About Danielle's Dare for a Cure ~

There are a group of amazing people who have volunteered to dye their hair all sports of colours, cut their hair, shave their head and partipate in all sorts of different dares to raise funds toward Danielle's Difference. If your donation is for the purpose of sponsoring one of these brave participants. Please include their name in your note of support when making the donation.

The participants of Danielle's Dare for a Cure can be found at:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.170628226343243.43125.165083783564354&type=1