A check-up that changed everything
In 2008, life was simple for this family from Sale, Victoria. They were enjoying time with newborn Ethan – excited about the possibilities his future held.
It was during a routine maternal health appointment that their world began to shift. Ethan wasn’t gaining weight with breast milk alone, and it was suggested to introduce formula. “Little did I know that it was going to save Ethan’s life,” recalls Mindy, Ethan’s mother.
That night, as Mindy gave Ethan his first bottle, she noticed something alarming – one side of his little tummy appeared distended and felt unnaturally hard. A whirlwind of scans and referrals to specialists followed. They got the devastating news no parent is ever prepared to hear: their baby boy had kidney cancer.
“Shock and disbelief is only the beginning of how you feel.”
The first battle
The family remained cautiously optimistic – it was stage one and considered a “good cancer.” Chemotherapy and surgery followed, and they were referred to the Ronald McDonald House in Monash while Ethan underwent treatment.
But their hope quickly faded when, at only 12 months old, Ethan relapsed to stage four. The cancer had spread aggressively to his lungs, with some tumours attached to his pericardium, as well as to his liver.
For over a year, as Ethan underwent intensive chemotherapy, stem cell rescues, multiple surgeries, and radiation therapy, Ronald McDonald House Monash became their sanctuary – a place of stability amid the chaos of a life-threatening illness.
“Ronald McDonald House literally became our home away from home.”
Respite and return
For many families, baby Ethan’s recovery would have been the end of their journey with Ronald McDonald House. But for this family, it was just the beginning of a long relationship spanning 16 years.
Ethan had overcome the odds as a baby and had been cancer free for years. Life had found a new normal for the family, which now included Ethan’s younger sister, Lilly.
But in 2022, at age 14, their world was upended once again when a new tumour was discovered on Ethan’s remaining kidney. And in February 2024, at age 15, surgery revealed his third cancer diagnosis—a completely different type of kidney cancer called Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.
A constant through the turbulence
Through this 16-year journey of uncertainty, hospital visits, and multiple diagnoses, one thing has remained constant: the support of Ronald McDonald House Victoria & Tasmania.
“It smells like home,” says Ethan, now 17.
Without Ronald McDonald House, the family would have faced hours of travel for each appointment, expensive accommodation costs, and the emotional strain of being separated during critical treatment periods.
Instead, they found a place that offered not just accommodation, but a true second home – a community of support that has become an integral part of their family’s story.
Even Ethan’s sister Lilly found her way to show support for her brother’s illness by joining Dance for Sick Kids. “It was her way of feeling connected to her big brother,” Mindy explains.
The journey continues
19 February 2025 marked 16 years since Ethan’s original cancer diagnosis. For his family, this date is no longer just a reminder of terrible news. It’s a celebration of all that Ethan has overcome.
“Ethan has been faced with so many adversities in his short life and overcome so many obstacles, all of which have played a part in creating the amazing young man he is today.”
Through three cancer diagnoses and 16 years, Ronald McDonald House has been there for this family – 600 nights and counting.
A place where, in Ethan’s words, “it feels like I am home again.”