Eve's Story
Eve isn’t afraid of monsters. As she wields a pair of scissors like a monster-slayer, you can see she’s got fight in her.
This little girl has needed it. Eve is a three-year-old, fragile slip of a girl, but she’s battling a monster bigger than any under the bed. Eve is undergoing treatment for leukaemia.
Eve finished her last big round of chemo in August. It was a tough time, remembers her mum, Kate. There weren’t many chances to smile.
So Kate signed Eve into the kinder program at The Royal Children’s Hospital, which is partly funded by Fight Cancer Foundation. Here, in the colourful kinder room, Eve has been able to use creative play and art to express her hopes and fears.
“When I met Eve and her mum, we discussed Eve’s interest in art,” says kinder teacher, Sonja. “She loves painting and cutting, but her fine motor control and strength was an area that needed developing.”
As you can imagine, chemo is exhausting for little bodies. The education support program helps children to continue their education and shift the focus away from their treatment. Importantly for Eve, she used art play to strengthen muscles and keep her mind alert.
“Kinder has made Eve want to come to hospital,” Kate tells us in amazement. “She asks everyday if she can go – I love this! Without this program I don’t know how Eve would have endured what she has gone through.”
When a child’s world is turned upside down by cancer, keeping up with normal activities like kinder means kids are still able to learn through play and vital friendships.
“A huge part of Eve’s kinder experience has been her engagement with other kids,” explains Sonja. “She has learnt from her peers by sharing her ideas and listening to the ideas of others, and she’s made some close friends.”
Sonja adds, “Eve is now using scissors with control and coordination, and she’s expressing her ideas.” Through the wild world of make-believe, Eve is using play dough, collage and drama. She even created a magnificent watercolour painting and a range of plasticine beasts! So in other words, Eve has made friends with monsters.
Eve still has another year and half of treatment to face. Kate has let us know that Eve is doing well after her most recent round of treatment and is excited to be making Christmas lists for Santa this year!
If you would like to support kids like Eve, please donate today so Fight Cancer Foundation can continue to minimise the impact and disruption cancer has on a young person’s educational and social development.