Parents postpone wedding to focus on daughters’ cancer scare

It was a rollercoaster time for this couple when they made a heartbreaking cancer discovery before the birth of their second child.

Aimee Carr and Brent Mudge with children Ellie, 4, Ayla, 2, and baby Elkie. Photo: Wild Creative Media.

One child diagnosed with cancer and the other born just days later.

It was a rollercoaster of a week for Tweed Heads mother of three Aimee Carr and Partner Brent Mudge when they made the heartbreaking discovery their eldest daughter Ellie, 4, had a rare and aggressive cancer just before her sister Elkie was born.

Ms Carr said 8-week-old Elkie was Ellie’s “lucky charm” since her diagnosis in May.

“She (Ellie) is just obsessed with Elkie, that’s always what she wants when she's going through the chemo – just to be with her in the bed,” Ms Carr said.

Brent Mudge and Aimee Carr with children Ellie, 4, Ayla, 2, and baby Elkie. Photo: Lauren Heath.

Aimee Carr with children Ellie, 4, and baby Elkie. Photo: Wild Creative Media.

“We (Ms Carr and Elkie) stay overnight in the hospital with her most of the time.”

Ms Carr said Ellie had been complaining of a sore stomach on and off for a few months prior to her diagnosis.

“She's not a big eater so we thought maybe she hadn’t eaten enough, it was also close to my due date so we thought she was mimicking my Braxton Hicks because I had been complaining of a sore stomach as well,” she said.

“When she woke up screaming we thought ‘hold up this must be more serious.’”

The couple initially took Ellie to Tweed Valley Hospital when she woke up from a nap screaming in agony but were quickly sent to the Gold Coast University Hospital after a scan.

“Then Gold Coast sent us to the QCH where we found out she had a 8cm tumour near her bladder,” she said.

“I was due to have Elkie on May 4 which was when we took Ellie to the hospital at first, then on May 9 we had Elkie and on May 13 Ellie was diagnosed with and arrived may 9 and then Ellie was diagnosed rhabdomyosarcoma,” she said.

Ms Carr said Ellie had her first round of chemo the next week.

“My body was under so much stress with having Elkie and then finding out about the cancer,” she said.

“Brent and I decided Elkie would be our last so it’s a little bit heartbreaking to not have gotten the newborn bubble.”

Ms Carr said Ellie understood her condition “as best as a four-year-old can”.

“She knows she has Mr Lump which is the mass and her ‘noodles’ which are her CV lines

“Obviously, this isn’t a common cancer, you don’t want parents to be scared of things. Ayla (Ellie’s other sister) was complaining about a sore tummy the other day and it's hard not to spiral,” she said.

Ms Carr and Mr Mudge have cancelled their wedding which was initially planned in October.

“It’s as much about our daughters as it is about us and it wouldn’t be fair or safe to go ahead with it at this stage.”

The family have a GoFundMe which has already raised over $20,000 since May.