Carly Saunders and Tresne Middleton, an Australian reality TV power couple, captivated fans nationwide with their presence on the highly competitive cooking show My Kitchen Rules.
Their extraordinary story of overcoming an eight-year fight with IVF, which they publicly documented on their Instagram page, endeared them to the world.
The couple’s delight knew no boundaries when their baby, Poppy Grace, was born on June 2, 2021. Unfortunately, their joy was short-lived when they received sad news soon after Poppy’s birth.
Infantile acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a rare and dangerous form of cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, was diagnosed in their lovely little one.
Poppy fought bravely against this vicious cancer for several months before succumbing to it shy of her second birthday this year. Carly and Tresne have opted to speak openly about the early warning symptoms of this rare illness in the face of their devastating loss.
Middleton told the Australian news source 7news, “We noticed her belly was gradually enlarging, causing distention, and she experienced severe vomiting during meals.”
What drew their attention was a persistent bruise on Poppy’s thigh—a heartbreaking warning flag that something was wrong. “In cases of leukemia, paleness, excessive bruising, and abnormal bleeding are frequently indicators that the disease is affecting the bone marrow and, consequently, the blood,” Saunders added.
The mark lingered for five weeks, providing a disturbing reminder of their daughter’s failing health. “Looking back, we wonder how we missed noticing her progressive pallor,” Saunders says, “but the changes happened so subtly that we had no inkling.”
Poppy was diagnosed with leukemia when she was only 11 weeks old. “She was our little miracle,” Saunders said, sobbing. We had been hoping for a child since 2012.
We were faced with the frightening potential of losing her that night. Every day became a struggle.” “Initially, we couldn’t fathom the diagnosis,” Middleton continued, “because the road to having Poppy had been long and difficult.”
Poppy received a rigorous bone marrow transplant before her first birthday to treat her disease. Unfortunately, her health began deteriorating two days after the procedure, and her grieving parents heard devastating news from the doctors.
Middleton remembers the physicians’ advice: “They advised us to cherish every precious moment we had with her.” They were given an extra eight months of precious time with their daughter by participating in pharmacological experiments.
“During that time, Poppy truly blossomed,” Middleton says of this period. We observed her vivid personality and saw her sparkle like the tiny star that she was.”
In the aftermath of their horrific loss, Carly and Tresne have seen an increase in blood donations in Poppy’s memory. They admit, “It’s amazing how important blood donations are for cancer patients, especially children.”
There is currently a critical shortage of blood supply.” Donations donated in memory of Poppy have saved the lives of approximately 4000 people, according to the couple.
Recognizing the critical need for blood donations for Poppy and countless other children fighting illness, the pair is committed to raising awareness.
They aggressively promote blood donations on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, where they passionately detail Poppy’s symptoms and urge parents to look for symptoms like headaches, joint discomfort, fevers, and enlarged lymph nodes.
They emphasize the significance of Poppy’s pale complexion, which resulted from low hemoglobin levels, her frequent vomiting due to an enlarged spleen, and the persistent bruise that lingered on her thigh for weeks because of a low platelet count.
Carly and Tresne continue to commemorate their daughter’s legacy by diligently lobbying for blood donations and promoting awareness of leukemia’s early warning signs.
Their unwavering love for Poppy drives their mission to save other families from the heartbreak they’ve experienced while also ensuring that the memory of their little dazzling star goes on, eternally inscribed in the hearts of anyone touched by her story.
