Nova Vakalahi: Sunshine Coast toddler diagnosed with leukaemia

An expecting Sunshine Coast family have been left shocked after their toddler was diagnosed with leukaemia after Covid-19 masked any signs of the devastating illness.

A Sunshine Coast toddler is facing a fresh health battle after sinister indications of the deadly illness were masked by her Covid-19 symptoms.

Baringa toddler Nova Vakalahi had contracted coronavirus in early February, 2022 after the rise of the Omicron variant ran rampant across Queensland over the summer holidays.

Her mother Lily Boyle said Nova had become anaemic and “sicker than usual” after she caught Covid-19 and exhibited far more worrying signs such as becoming very pale and light skinned.

Sunshine Coast's Nova Vakalahi. Picture: Contributed

“She was bruising really easily and they just weren’t going away but the biggest part was losing her colour,” Ms Boyle said.

“It was hard because there was no way of knowing she was critically ill, it was very scary.”

Ms Boyle and her partner Sam Vakalahi spoke with doctors who believed the signs were masked by her Covid-19 infection.

On February 10 doctors diagnosed Nova with leukaemia in her spinal cord.

The toddler was now undertaking chemotherapy in Brisbane.

Her family will relocate down to the southeast corner to be with Nova while she undertakes her treatment.

“We would be more comfortable down there closer to her at the Brisbane Children’s Hospital,” Ms Boyle said.

“We just want to be by her side.”

Sam Vakalahi, Nova Vakalahi and Lily Boyle. Picture: Contributed

The young Baringa family were coming to terms with the diagnosis which came as Ms Boyle was just several weeks off giving birth to her second child.

“[Nova’s] been such a happy and healthy kid who is always full of energy,” she said.

“It’s literally been in the last month now that she’s deteriorated.”

Doctors have been conducting further tests on the 18-month old child due to the lack of function in her heart and lungs from the illness.

Ms Boyle said it was still a waiting game to find out how unwell Nova really was.

A GoFundMe has been created to help with the cost of uprooting their lives to Brisbane for Nova’s treatment as well as supporting their second child who is on the way.

You can donate to the fundraiser here.

Originally published as Nova Vakalahi: Sunshine Coast toddler diagnosed with leukaemia