25/08/2016 - 22/12/2025
There are moments in life that divide your world into before and after.
For our family, that happened in just 24 hours.
In one day, everything we knew and imagined for our future changed forever.
Just hours before, Millie was our happy, loving, bubbly little girl. Full of life, laughter, love and adventure, she was simply our Millie — our daughter and such a huge part of our family.
Then everything changed.
Within 24 hours, we went from having our little girl with us to hearing the words Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) and facing a reality no parent should ever face.
There was no time to prepare, process or understand what was happening.
Everything happened so quickly.
Our normal family life disappeared almost instantly, replaced by fear, hospital, tests, doctors and the overwhelming feeling that our world was moving faster than we could keep up with.
Before we could comprehend that our little girl was seriously ill, we were faced with losing her.
All of this happened within 24 hours.
Twenty-four hours.
One day.
One moment she was here.
Then our lives changed forever.
I don't think words can truly explain what that does to a family.
Millie didn't have weeks or months for us to prepare. We didn't have time to say goodbye to the life we thought we had.
Everything was taken from us so suddenly.
But in those 24 hours, Millie was still Millie: the little girl full of love, who made people smile and whose personality could light up a room.
The little girl who deserved so much more time.
She should have had years ahead of her. More birthdays, adventures, holidays, laughter, karaoke, cuddles and ordinary family days we now desperately wish we could have back.
Twenty-four hours changed everything.
It changed our family, who we are and the future we imagined.
It left us learning to live with a loss we never had the chance to prepare for.
But although Millie is no longer here, her story is not over.
Her life matters. Her story matters. And it needs to be heard.
That is why I want to use The Millie Rose Foundation to create a space where families affected by childhood cancer can share their experiences.
Before Millie, I never truly understood how quickly everything could change.
I want parents to hear these stories, people to understand childhood cancer, and families to know they are not alone.
I want Millie's story to raise awareness of how devastating and unpredictable childhood cancer can be.
If sharing what happened to Millie helps even one family recognize something isn't right, trust their instincts or seek help, then her story will have helped someone.
And if we can support another family on this terrifying, heartbreaking and overwhelming journey, then we will.
Because I cannot change what happened to Millie.
I cannot go back those 24 hours.
I cannot bring my little girl home.
But I can tell her story. I can keep saying her name. I can keep her memory alive.
And I can make sure the 24 hours that changed our world are never forgotten.
My Millie Rose.
Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever making a difference. 💗🎗️🐰
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