‘The strongest little girl’: Valentina Mcgee-Champion has passed away after a battle with cancer
Valentina, the little two-year-old girl whose cheeky smile stole South Aussie hearts, has passed away.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Two-year-old Valentina Mcgee-Champion, whose cheeky smile stole the hearts of South Australians when she was forced to celebrate her third birthday early due to illness, has died.
Valentina’s family threw her an early third birthday party on March 11 – instead of on her birthday in June – on doctor’s advice.
She died on Wednesday morning at her home surrounded by family and loved ones, after being diagnosed with a rare terminal brain cancer earlier this year.
The Advertiser met Valentina last month when her family was planning an early birthday celebration.
The little girl opened the door of her aunty’s home with open arms, invited us to play with blocks and offered us a plate of biscuits, lovingly half-eaten by her.
In the moments after she passed away, her Aunty Bec saw a heart-shaped cloud in the sky and knew it was her.
“Despite her illness Valentina always ensured a smile was maintained on everyone’s face, making them laugh even if they did not want to,” her Aunty Bec said on behalf of the family, including Valentina’s mum Carly who was “inconsolable”.
“The strongest and most beautiful little girl anyone could ever have the pleasure of meeting, she touched so many hearts.”
Valentina had a mutated gene known as TP53 which makes carriers much more susceptible to cancer. Her half-brother Adrian, who also carried the gene, died when he was 12, while Valentina’s mum Carly was still pregnant with her.
“She chose Carly, she chose to come to Carly and help us get over the grief of losing, not only my mother and father, but … Adrian.
“To get over the grief of that she came and she made these last two and a half years the most memorable things that we’ll be able to look back on, precious moments that we’re never going to get back but that have given us the strength to keep going,” Aunty Bec said.
Bec remembers the family dinners they had where Valentina was the evening entertainment.
“She would speak out of turn and she would say crazy funny things – even at her own expense,” she said.
“She would laugh and we would all be in fits of laughter laughing at her and she would know it was at her own expense.
“If we were having a bad day, Valentina was having a worst day but she always made ours better.”
The toddler’s birthday party was filled with everything she ever dreamt of – a bouncy castle, ball pit and soft play equipment.
Unfortunately, when the day came Valentina’s health deteriorated drastically leaving her unable to participate fully in the festivities.
She managed to make a small appearance towards the end of the party when all the guests sung happy birthday to her.
When they were done, she screamed “Happy Birthday” to herself, a phrase she would keep uttering until her final day.
After most of the guests had left she had a moment to herself to jump on the bouncy castle and play with her toys, all before she playfully told remaining guests to “get out of (her) house” when they overstayed their welcome.
Valentina is survived by her mum Carly, Nannie Tash, Aunty Bec and uncles Angus and Myles.
She was born on June 13, 2020, and she died March 22, 2023, aged two.
Originally published as ‘The strongest little girl’: Valentina Mcgee-Champion has passed away after a battle with cancer
The 175 charities that just got $20K each
Commonwealth Bank has announced that its staff foundation has raised $3.5 million in 2024 to donate to 175 charitable organisations around Australia. CONTENT PARTNERSHIP
Race to Melbourne: SA baby’s journey for heart surgery
First-time parents Brooke Guildford and Morgan Ellery rushed their five-week-old vomiting baby girl to hospital, only to receive a life-altering diagnosis.