Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
About two weeks ago, I got contacted by some members
of the Nightcliff Dragons rugby league club. They wanted to
let me know that they have an awesome little girl
who's part of their rugby league family, and she's going
through a pretty tough time at the moment. Her name
is Melia Mulholland and she is fighting brain cats and
now joining me on the line right now is Tracy,
(00:24):
her grandma. Good morning to you, Tracy, Good morning Katie.
Now Tracy. Hopefully I've pronounced her name correctly, because I
know that in a video that Reyese Walsh had done
for your beautiful GRANDDAUGHTERY.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Got it wrong.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Everybody gets it everybody. It's okay now, I tell you
to pick that up quite quickly.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I bet she did.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
I've gone and had a look at some of the
videos that your wonderful family has posted and some of
what your gorgeous granddaughter is going through.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Can you tell me a little bit about her?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Firstly, she is such a strong little girl, but she
just she never complained. She worries about everybody else. She's
braver than ten men. Really, she just goes through it
and just takes it all in her stride. Just worrying
(01:23):
that everyone else is feeling bad.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Now, I have been told that she's funny, she's cheeky,
she can be a little bit shy.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
But she is a beautiful, kind little girl.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah she is. She is sassy as hell.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
That's how you want your granddaughter, right.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Absolutely, no one's going to put it over her at all.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Now, can you tell me a little bit about what
Malia's going through at this point?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Okay, So her diagnosis was a dulablastoma, which is a
brain cancer in the throe them. So she's had surgery,
she's had radiation, seventeen rounds of radiation, which she lost
(02:15):
her hair then, which is not that it bothers her,
so she doesn't have to go through that. Now. She's
currently just finished round one chemo. And I actually call
it poison because it's just horrible. It's just the medicine
they give you has to be counteracted for medicine to
(02:38):
save you.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
It's that bad.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, And look, you know, I think anybody that's seen
an adult go through it understands how difficult it is.
But then to have a little girl going through that
treatment is it would be so incredibly tough.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
It is just horrible. It is. You know, like one
of the medications they give you damage is your bladder,
so they have to give you medication to save your bladder.
It's just it's just it's not right for little kids.
It's not right for anybody.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
But it's kids.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Don't desert that.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
No, they truly don't. Tracy, tell me how old is Malia.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Malia's nine. She turned nine in Ronald McDonald house.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
This year, so she's yeah, she's still.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
She's an old nine, sprightly nine.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
And I would imagine you know, it's been it's been
really tough for your family in terms of that travel,
having to go into state and for her going through
what is incredibly tough treatment.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yeah, it is very hard. I mean our flights, mine
and my grandson's flights were anonymously paid for this trip,
which was so awesome. The traveling is hard because we
all work in Darwin, so it's a little bit difficult.
And I'm casual, so I only get.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Paid for what I work.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
So's it's tough being so far away from home. It's
just so far.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Now you have there is a go fund me page
that has has been started in an effort to support
your family. Through what is such a tough time, and
I know that you've had so much support. I was
actually contacted about you guys by the wonderful crew at
the Nightcliff Dragons Rugby League club and they.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Are awesome and awesome.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Well, and they told me as well that her brother
plays in the under twelves, and I understand that last
month they dedicated again to Malaia.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yes they did. We were all the boys wore pink
arm bands and it was so special and it made
her brother feel like he was doing something that he
could he could contribute something. And even though he goes,
he contribute all the time. You know, he sits with her,
(05:15):
he checks on her, he tried to get her to
eat everything else. But just having that arm day with
his teammates made him feel like he was really doing something.
How's he going, Oh, he's he's a big marshmallow. He's
just tough on the outside. He's feeling it inside. Did
(05:40):
he won't never say anything? No.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I can't even imagine.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
You know, my kids are around that age and so
you know, I just can't even imagine how tough it
is for your family.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Tell me.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
How much money has been raised and what is that
money going.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Towards and how can people help?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Because I reckon there's going to be lots of people
listening this morning who'd like to.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Most of it has gone. I think it's fourteen now.
Most of it has already gone. Like it goes on
food supplies, the air flights. You know, last sum we
were here, we took her to the zoo. You know,
it's incredibly hard not to drop one hundred dollars in
(06:27):
five seconds, you know, just going to Cols ubering, you know,
because none of us can just afford those extra costs.
You know, there's a lot of medication that you know,
tedious or nappy white, it's just you know, and then
we're feeding Tyreeque on top of that, like we're doing
(06:51):
covering all his activities and his food and his schooling
and his clothes. So a lot of it actually goes
to Malaya and some.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Of it goes towards Parry to help keeping.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
His normal new normal, which I think is fair enough.
You know, you've got to try and keep their lives
as normal as possible when she's going through anything but.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
A normal battle.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
How in terms of that treatment, how's it going and
what kind of you know progress is it happening on.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Her cancer.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
The MRI. She had an MRI before chemo and it
came back clear, which is awesome. A lumber puncture is done.
We don't have all the results for that. They can't
ever actually get deep enough. So the treatment for her
cancer is full radiation and four rounds of chemo because
(07:51):
of the cells, because it's in the spinal fluid, so
they want to make sure that they double whammy her.
And then we're hoping singers and arms cross. But after
Christmas everything will be clear and she will be in remission.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Well, we all.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Be praying for you and certainly sending our love and
prayers to your little family and particularly to your little
granddaughter and also to your grandson Tracy.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Before I let you go, I mentioned this at the start.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
I know that she had she's a football fan and
she had Reese Walsh and also Nathan Cleary send.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Her that video. Those videos. Did that bring a bit
of a smile to her face?
Speaker 4 (08:39):
Yeah, she's sort of.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
The Nathan Cleary one was gone through my sister. She
has a podcast, yeah, Armchair Champion, so his mum is
actually on there.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
So that was for her birthday.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
In May that was really good and yeah, she was
like she watched the video answers like really she said
my name long as all she cared about, you know
as a side eye, and I roll, really.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
And you know, sometimes those rugby league players, those young fellas,
they can cop a bit of stick for you know,
for whatever. But I just thought it was really lovely
to see that they'd sent those videos to her.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Yeah, his was very heartfelt. Reese Welsh, it felt very heartfelt,
which was really sincere of him.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
I think, yeah, it's spot on, Tracy. Before I let
you go, what can people search for if they do
want to jump online and want to make a donation
to help to help Maliah and the battle and the
journey that your family's going through right now, where should
they go.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
On? Her Facebook page is Malaiah Maholand And.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
I know for me, if you don't know how to
spell her name, we can also jump on the on
the Nightcliff Dragons rugby League club. And I was able
to find it on there as well. They'd shared a
little video and so I'd done a bit of a
search and been able to find some further info on there,
and I watched a couple of videos and gee, she
seems like a lovely kid.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
She is, she is well, incredible, incredibly brave.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Yeah, I can't even imagine, Tracy. I really appreciate your
time this morning. Thank you for having a chat to us,
and so much love to you, to your family, to
your granddaughter at what is an incredibly tough time.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
And I'd love to.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Meet you guys when you come back to Darwin, when
things have calmed down a little bit for you.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yeah, that'd be awesome. Thank you for caring, honestly, thank
you for caring.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
No worries it all, Tracy.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
And I tell you what, it's that Nightcliff Dragon's Rugby
League Club that that kept contacting.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Us as well to make sure that we knew what
was going on.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
And what I love about that is that Rugby League
club is like a family to people that play with
the club, and I think that that's such a lovely thing.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
They support Paris so much in so many ways.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
It's incredible, Tracy, so very brave and wonderful of you
to talk to me this morning.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Thank you for your time.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Thank you, Katie, thank you, thank you
About two weeks ago, I got contacted by some members
of the Nightcliff Dragons rugby league club. They wanted to
let me know that they have an awesome little girl
who's part of their rugby league family, and she's going
through a pretty tough time at the moment. Her name
is Melia Mulholland and she is fighting brain cats and
now joining me on the line right now is Tracy,
(00:24):
her grandma. Good morning to you, Tracy, Good morning Katie.
Now Tracy. Hopefully I've pronounced her name correctly, because I
know that in a video that Reyese Walsh had done
for your beautiful GRANDDAUGHTERY.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Got it wrong.
Speaker 3 (00:39):
Everybody gets it everybody. It's okay now, I tell you
to pick that up quite quickly.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
I bet she did.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
I've gone and had a look at some of the
videos that your wonderful family has posted and some of
what your gorgeous granddaughter is going through.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Can you tell me a little bit about her?
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Firstly, she is such a strong little girl, but she
just she never complained. She worries about everybody else. She's
braver than ten men. Really, she just goes through it
and just takes it all in her stride. Just worrying
(01:23):
that everyone else is feeling bad.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Now, I have been told that she's funny, she's cheeky,
she can be a little bit shy.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
But she is a beautiful, kind little girl.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Yeah she is. She is sassy as hell.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
That's how you want your granddaughter, right.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Absolutely, no one's going to put it over her at all.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Now, can you tell me a little bit about what
Malia's going through at this point?
Speaker 3 (01:55):
Okay, So her diagnosis was a dulablastoma, which is a
brain cancer in the throe them. So she's had surgery,
she's had radiation, seventeen rounds of radiation, which she lost
(02:15):
her hair then, which is not that it bothers her,
so she doesn't have to go through that. Now. She's
currently just finished round one chemo. And I actually call
it poison because it's just horrible. It's just the medicine
they give you has to be counteracted for medicine to
(02:38):
save you.
Speaker 4 (02:39):
It's that bad.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Yeah, And look, you know, I think anybody that's seen
an adult go through it understands how difficult it is.
But then to have a little girl going through that
treatment is it would be so incredibly tough.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
It is just horrible. It is. You know, like one
of the medications they give you damage is your bladder,
so they have to give you medication to save your bladder.
It's just it's just it's not right for little kids.
It's not right for anybody.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
But it's kids.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Don't desert that.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
No, they truly don't. Tracy, tell me how old is Malia.
Speaker 3 (03:21):
Malia's nine. She turned nine in Ronald McDonald house.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
This year, so she's yeah, she's still.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
She's an old nine, sprightly nine.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
And I would imagine you know, it's been it's been
really tough for your family in terms of that travel,
having to go into state and for her going through
what is incredibly tough treatment.
Speaker 3 (03:49):
Yeah, it is very hard. I mean our flights, mine
and my grandson's flights were anonymously paid for this trip,
which was so awesome. The traveling is hard because we
all work in Darwin, so it's a little bit difficult.
And I'm casual, so I only get.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Paid for what I work.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
So's it's tough being so far away from home. It's
just so far.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Now you have there is a go fund me page
that has has been started in an effort to support
your family. Through what is such a tough time, and
I know that you've had so much support. I was
actually contacted about you guys by the wonderful crew at
the Nightcliff Dragons Rugby League club and they.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
Are awesome and awesome.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Well, and they told me as well that her brother
plays in the under twelves, and I understand that last
month they dedicated again to Malaia.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
Yes they did. We were all the boys wore pink
arm bands and it was so special and it made
her brother feel like he was doing something that he
could he could contribute something. And even though he goes,
he contribute all the time. You know, he sits with her,
(05:15):
he checks on her, he tried to get her to
eat everything else. But just having that arm day with
his teammates made him feel like he was really doing something.
How's he going, Oh, he's he's a big marshmallow. He's
just tough on the outside. He's feeling it inside. Did
(05:40):
he won't never say anything? No.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I can't even imagine.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
You know, my kids are around that age and so
you know, I just can't even imagine how tough it
is for your family.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
Tell me.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
How much money has been raised and what is that
money going.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Towards and how can people help?
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Because I reckon there's going to be lots of people
listening this morning who'd like to.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Most of it has gone. I think it's fourteen now.
Most of it has already gone. Like it goes on
food supplies, the air flights. You know, last sum we
were here, we took her to the zoo. You know,
it's incredibly hard not to drop one hundred dollars in
(06:27):
five seconds, you know, just going to Cols ubering, you know,
because none of us can just afford those extra costs.
You know, there's a lot of medication that you know,
tedious or nappy white, it's just you know, and then
we're feeding Tyreeque on top of that, like we're doing
(06:51):
covering all his activities and his food and his schooling
and his clothes. So a lot of it actually goes
to Malaya and some.
Speaker 4 (07:00):
Of it goes towards Parry to help keeping.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
His normal new normal, which I think is fair enough.
You know, you've got to try and keep their lives
as normal as possible when she's going through anything but.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
A normal battle.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
How in terms of that treatment, how's it going and
what kind of you know progress is it happening on.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Her cancer.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
The MRI. She had an MRI before chemo and it
came back clear, which is awesome. A lumber puncture is done.
We don't have all the results for that. They can't
ever actually get deep enough. So the treatment for her
cancer is full radiation and four rounds of chemo because
(07:51):
of the cells, because it's in the spinal fluid, so
they want to make sure that they double whammy her.
And then we're hoping singers and arms cross. But after
Christmas everything will be clear and she will be in remission.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Well, we all.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Be praying for you and certainly sending our love and
prayers to your little family and particularly to your little
granddaughter and also to your grandson Tracy.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
Before I let you go, I mentioned this at the start.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
I know that she had she's a football fan and
she had Reese Walsh and also Nathan Cleary send.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Her that video. Those videos. Did that bring a bit
of a smile to her face?
Speaker 4 (08:39):
Yeah, she's sort of.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
The Nathan Cleary one was gone through my sister. She
has a podcast, yeah, Armchair Champion, so his mum is
actually on there.
Speaker 4 (08:50):
So that was for her birthday.
Speaker 3 (08:52):
In May that was really good and yeah, she was
like she watched the video answers like really she said
my name long as all she cared about, you know
as a side eye, and I roll, really.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
And you know, sometimes those rugby league players, those young fellas,
they can cop a bit of stick for you know,
for whatever. But I just thought it was really lovely
to see that they'd sent those videos to her.
Speaker 3 (09:21):
Yeah, his was very heartfelt. Reese Welsh, it felt very heartfelt,
which was really sincere of him.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
I think, yeah, it's spot on, Tracy. Before I let
you go, what can people search for if they do
want to jump online and want to make a donation
to help to help Maliah and the battle and the
journey that your family's going through right now, where should
they go.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
On? Her Facebook page is Malaiah Maholand And.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
I know for me, if you don't know how to
spell her name, we can also jump on the on
the Nightcliff Dragons rugby League club. And I was able
to find it on there as well. They'd shared a
little video and so I'd done a bit of a
search and been able to find some further info on there,
and I watched a couple of videos and gee, she
seems like a lovely kid.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
She is, she is well, incredible, incredibly brave.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
Yeah, I can't even imagine, Tracy. I really appreciate your
time this morning. Thank you for having a chat to us,
and so much love to you, to your family, to
your granddaughter at what is an incredibly tough time.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
And I'd love to.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
Meet you guys when you come back to Darwin, when
things have calmed down a little bit for you.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
Yeah, that'd be awesome. Thank you for caring, honestly, thank
you for caring.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
No worries it all, Tracy.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
And I tell you what, it's that Nightcliff Dragon's Rugby
League Club that that kept contacting.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
Us as well to make sure that we knew what
was going on.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
And what I love about that is that Rugby League
club is like a family to people that play with
the club, and I think that that's such a lovely thing.
Speaker 3 (11:08):
They support Paris so much in so many ways.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
It's incredible, Tracy, so very brave and wonderful of you
to talk to me this morning.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Thank you for your time.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
Thank you, Katie, thank you, thank you
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