K'day 2025: Millie’s milestones – from treatment, to remission, to smashing her fundraising goals
2025-01-13
When 13-year-old Millie Trustum grows up, she wants to be either a nurse just like her mother, or a chef, but Millie’s future wasn’t always so certain.
It was the end of 2018 when Millie came home from school with a sore shoulder. The aches worsened in the days that followed and she ended up presenting flu-like symptoms.
After waking up in excruciating pain, a chest x-ray revealed a tumour the size of a grapefruit entangled in the arteries around Millie’s heart. She was subsequently diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma and commenced chemotherapy immediately.
Millie’s dad, Kevin recalls what there was a million things going through his mind at that moment.
“At that time, everything moved so quickly, but it was quite confronting and shocking to learn your child has cancer. There is just a rollercoaster of emotions and decisions, but you go into overdrive and deal with it as best you can.”
Chemotherapy began at once, with the little girl subjected to two rounds of treatment. The treatment saw Millie fade into an unrecognisable skinny bald kid that struggled to eat or function.
The two rounds of treatment were to no avail. The oncology team doubted Millie would be able to survive any additional rounds of chemo in future, as she had lost the ability to walk and was being wheeled around in a modified pram. Then, when all hope seemed lost, a new wonder drug combination delivered a breakthrough.
Millie’s fortunes changed almost overnight. The drug combination healed her to the point where she was able to undergo a bone marrow transplant donated from her older sister, Olivia.
Millie is now cancer-free and lives a normal life! As for any advice she has for children living with cancer, this is what she says.
“Don't give up and keep trying! Keep finding ways to help yourself and take your mind off things.”
Once Millie had reached a full recovery, she felt compelled to support people going through situations she knows all too well. In that time, Millie and her family have raised an incredible $90,000 for The Kids’ Cancer Project via an array of different events, including morning teas, charity bingo afternoon, a colouring book and even has helped her grandparents auction off cows!
Kevin says that their own experiences shaped their want to raise money for The Kids’ Cancer Project.
“For us, research is key. All it takes is for the charity to invest in one scientist who might find that one wonder drug or treatment that could make a difference. As Millie says, she wants no other kids to have cancer, and that’s what drives her.
“The experience of the last few years is not far away, and I guess that's what drives us the most: to try and make a difference in the world now and give back. Millie is one of the lucky ones who was able to survive her cancer. There are a lot of kids who do not. We want to use that to the best of our ability and make a difference.”
This K’day, Millie is helping us in trying to make our dream become reality: for no child to die from cancer. Donations made on K’day are worth double, meaning we can go twice as far for kids with cancer.
Millie says it’s time to say K’day to a better tomorrow, and encourages everyone to make a donation, whatever the amount.
"Just do it! You're helping us find better treatments for childhood cancer.”
Kevin agrees.
“We would just encourage people just to bite the bullet and donate. You never know the difference your dollar could make; it could even result in a better treatments and better outcomes for kids with cancer!”
To make a donation, or for more information about K’day, hit the button below.