Sienna

2026 Recipient

Sienna was a healthy, bright nine-month-old when her parents first noticed sudden changes in her balance and coordination. What initially was thought to be a simple ear infection quickly became something far more serious. Further investigations revealed a brain tumour, later diagnosed as Medulloblastoma. 

Sienna underwent life-saving surgery to remove the tumour, followed by eight rounds of intense chemotherapy. 

In October this year, Sienna completed her final round of treatment. After spending nine months living at The Ronald McDonald House in between her very frequent hospital admissions, she is finally back home. Now, she can focus on learning to walk, exploring food again, and finding the energy for endless play with her big brother, Artie. 

Since returning home, Sienna was in hospital for a few nights with fevers due to a couple of respiratory viruses, but she is back home again and well. She is putting on weight and tolerating bolus feeds through her nasogastric feeding tube, rather than having to be on the continuous feeds all day -which is amazing. She has a long way to go with learning to eat properly but considering how poorly she tolerated even her continuous feeds for most of her treatment, I feel like she is doing well to be on bolus feeds already.  She has also had her central line removed and doesn't have to go back to the John Hunter Children’s Hospital until her next surveillance MRI in January 2026. 

Through every challenge, Sienna has shown remarkable strength and resilience, remaining a happy, outgoing little girl despite all she has been through.