On July 11, 2016, a beautiful baby girl entered this world: Amelia Millie’mae Watkins. It was a premature birth, and she was extremely tiny, but the parents’ world was overwhelmed with happiness and joy. She was a little princess. Her parents and elder brother, Kaden, were also around her 24/7, cherishing her presence. She was the perfect addition to their beautiful family!
With the baby girl’s enchanting blue eyes, dark hair, and bubbly, sassy spirit, she was the light for the family in their darkest moments. Everyone was busy adoring her, and the house was filled with the echoes of laughter and love, but what came next was unimaginable—something no one could prepare the family for. Being in the military, the father had postings every few months, and this time, the family was about to move to California from Virginia.
While they prepared for the shift, Millie showed symptoms of being sick. The parents, without any delay, took her to this hospital, where the doctors diagnosed her with a mild ear infection and told her parents that it would soon be fine, as babies have weak immunity and are prone to such diseases. However, rather than getting better, with each passing day, the symptoms got worse, which is why she was later diagnosed with a double ear infection and was prescribed antibiotics. The baby was continuously restless, and all she needed was her mother. All this happened while they were on their way and stopped in Texas.
The condition kept declining.
Observing her condition, the parents saw doctors in New Mexico. The doctor not only diagnosed the ear infection but also discovered that the baby had pneumonia. The fluids and new medication improved her condition, but the improvement lasted only a few days. It was her mother’s birthday soon, and everything fell apart.
One day, when she woke up, Mille had a strange bruise under her eye. It was one that the parents hadn’t ever seen before, so they knew something was wrong. The doctors in Arizona showed concern as several problems were going on with the baby, and to their surprise, no doctor diagnosed them correctly and on time. They were confused as the baby had a hardened belly, was low on iron, and had thrush. A diagnosis based on these symptoms could be risky, as Millie was just a few months old. So, a CT scan was suggested.
The results of the scan showed that the baby had stage 4 neuroblastoma. The news devastated the parents and shattered them into pieces as the cancer had spread not just near her kidneys but also to her bones, lymph nodes, eyes, and bone marrow. With all this happening, how could they still show hope and stay strong? She was everything to them!
Chemotherapy started, and the baby was put on dialysis and transfusion. All the parents could do was watch from a distance, hold themselves together, and say a little prayer for the baby. The mother waited for her baby to open those beautiful blue eyes, a spark of hope. However, the tumor was too strong, so just five days before turning one, the angel lost her life on June 6.
She was a strong baby, and to always remember her, the family has raised thousands of dollars to help in pediatric cancer research and is also running awareness campaigns. The baby would have been there if the diagnosis had been done in time. A few-month-old baby’s impact on their lives is everlasting, and they still love her dearly!
