Amara

Amara has just turned one year old and has been diagnosed with an aggressive Stage 4 brain tumor called atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT). Since Christmas, she had been unwell with ongoing symptoms. Despite multiple doctor visits, the tumor tragically went undetected.

Amara was eventually referred to the hospital as a Category 1 patient and admitted immediately because she was dangerously underweight. She spent nine days in the hospital, where she had a feeding tube inserted, and was sent home just days before her first birthday, still without answers.

Only six days after turning one, her parents noticed her eyes turning inward and rushed her back to the doctor.

"We were told nothing was wrong and sent home again," her family shares. "The following day, we returned seeking a second opinion. Despite our concerns, we were dismissed once more. 

Amara's father insisted something could be wrong with her brain, and they were instructed to go to emergency if they were worried.

When Amara arrived at the emergency department, a CT scan revealed the devastating truth: she had a brain tumor. Alongside this diagnosis, she was also suffering from an upper lobe lung collapse, vocal palsy, parainfluenza, and an E. coli infection. Emergency surgery was performed that same night to relieve pressure on her brain.

She was urgently transferred to Queensland Children’s Hospital in Brisbane, where she is now undergoing treatment. To stay by her side and support her through this unimaginable journey, her family has had to relocate from Townsville to Brisbane.

Through this heartbreak, Amara's family wants to share a vital reminder with others:

"We want to urge other parents out there to just go straight to emergency if you have concerns about anything regarding your child, especially with ongoing symptoms. We nearly lost our precious girl, and the journey has a long road ahead yet. We continue to hope and pray the doctors can help our brave little fighter stay with us."

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May 30, 2026 Update: 

The last few weeks have been the hardest Amara’s family has ever faced. After undergoing chemotherapy for her brain tumor, Amara caught parainfluenza and her lungs became very sick. Medical teams are still trying to pinpoint exactly what is happening, as no bacteria has grown in her blood cultures. At one point, the family was told her lungs might not recover, and they came incredibly close to losing her.

Today, however, there is a bit of hope to hold onto. Amara is more stable. Her lungs are holding better, and the PICU team is planning to wake her from sedation on Tuesday. That means they will start reducing the breathing tube support to see if she can begin breathing more on her own.

She remains critically ill, and there is still a long road ahead. But “more stable” and “waking up Tuesday” are words the family didn’t think they would get to hear this week.

A message from the family: "Thank you to everyone who’s sent messages, prayers and strength. We feel it and it’s keeping us going. We’ll update again after Tuesday."

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If you would like to follow Amara’s ongoing treatment milestones and leave words of encouragement for her family by following their journey updates here: https://gofund.me/f8a8237a5