{"id":10724,"date":"2026-01-09T10:10:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T23:10:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/?p=10724"},"modified":"2026-01-09T12:41:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T01:41:40","slug":"mias-road-from-silence-to-smiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.rch.org.au\/news\/mias-road-from-silence-to-smiles\/","title":{"rendered":"Mia\u2019s road from silence to smiles"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Mia was two and a half, her parents noticed something wasn\u2019t right. Mia stopped eating, stopped talking, and the active, bubbly little girl just wasn\u2019t herself. What seemed like a simple gastro bug soon became a parent’s worst nightmare.<\/p>\n

After several visits to their local doctor and hospital, Mia was referred to The Royal Children\u2019s Hospital (RCH). At this point, she\u2019d been sick for almost a month.<\/p>\n

Won and Justin needed answers for their daughter.<\/p>\n

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Weeks of searching for answers ended with a heartbreaking result: high-risk neuroblastoma, a rare and aggressive childhood cancer.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was surreal,\u201d Mia\u2019s mum, Won, recalls. \u201cWe were told the treatment would take at least 18 months. The odds were confronting, but we had no choice but to start.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mia began chemotherapy just days after her diagnosis. The treatment was intense, with a major 12-hour-long surgery and high-dose chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant.<\/p>\n

Each stage brought new challenges and side effects, making it hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were moments when Mia was so flat and withdrawn,\u201d her mum says. \u201cShe wouldn\u2019t speak, wouldn\u2019t move, and even refused to let us touch her. It was heartbreaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

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One turning point came thanks to music therapist Mel, who brought a guitar to Mia\u2019s playroom and began to sing. As Mel strummed and sang, for the first time in weeks, Mia looked up and responded.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the first sign of hope,\u201d her mum says. \u201cFrom then on, music therapy, art therapy and the Comfort First program changed everything. They gave Mia moments of joy and helped her feel safe.\u201d<\/p>\n

These programs, alongside the care of nurses and doctors, transformed Mia\u2019s experience. Hospital became a place where she could laugh, play and learn. She even attended kinder sessions, building confidence for life beyond treatment.<\/p>\n

The Comfort First program uses play techniques and education to reduce pain and distress during cancer treatment thanks to philanthropic support through The Royal Children\u2019s Hospital Foundation from Camp Quality and My Room Children\u2019s Cancer Charity.<\/p>\n

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Today, Mia is four years old and in remission. She\u2019s cheeky, determined and full of life.<\/p>\n

While her recovery continues, she\u2019s running, playing and dreaming big.<\/p>\n

Won says \u201cwhen we ask what she wants to be when she grows up, Mia says a nurse or a doctor.\u201d \u201cEven with everything she\u2019s experienced, she wants to be like the people who helped her, and make kids feel better.\u201d<\/p>\n

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