Ten-year-old cancer survivor makes lemonade for other Queensland kids
A young cancer survivor has raised thousands of dollars – starting with a lemonade stall – to bring joy to children undergoing chemotherapy treatment.
Myah was diagnosed with an ovarian germ cell tumour at just nine years of age – now she is working to return some of the joy that supported her throughout her treatments by launching ‘Myah’s Toy Trolley’.
Despite facing an extremely rare condition for a child her age, Myah was always happy to see the toy trolley at Children’s Hospital Foundation in Brisbane while undergoing rounds of weekly chemotherapy treatment.
Once her treatment was completed, Myah launched her own fundraiser with the help of her best friends and younger brother in the form of a lemonade stand on her neighbourhood street.
The stall quickly drew hundreds of supporters from across the Brisbane community, including the local fire department – together, they raised $22,500.
The funds will now support ‘Myah’s Toy Trolley’ by keeping it stocked with toys, books and crafts for the more than 1,900 children and young people with cancer treated at Children’s Hospital Foundation every year.
“After my own treatments, I got to visit the toy trolley, and it made me smile when everything else felt hard,” Myah said. “Those little gifts reminded me that I wasn’t alone and that people cared.”
Myah says she hopes that with this trolley, kids going through treatment will feel the same things she felt upon seeing the trolley – brave, loved and a little less afraid.
“I just want to see as many people smile as possible.”
Myah’s father David McGuigan said his daughter’s diagnosis had a profound impact on their family, turning their world upside down overnight.
“The fear, uncertainty and emotional toll of watching your child battle cancer is indescribable,” McGuigan said.
He added that the generosity, encouragement and compassion shown to them by friends, family and complete strangers carried the family through their darkest days.
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“Knowing that so many people were rallying behind Myah gave us strength and reminded us that we were never facing this battle alone.”
McGuigan said besides the services provided to support children and their families, Children’s Hospital Foundation also helped to create an environment where Myah could receive the best care as well as continue to feel like a normal kid.
Children’s Hospital Foundation CEO Lyndsey Rice said the foundation is focused on helping the children under their care through difficult diagnoses.
“At the Children’s Hospital Foundation, we’re committed to funding the areas of wrap-around care that bring joy, comfort, distraction and entertainment to children and their families to brighten the darkest days of their lives,” Rice said.
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