Community rallies to give young girl special early birthday party after mum's tragic diagnosis
A western Sydney community has rallied together to put on a dream party, five months early, for a nine-year-old Emerton girl coming to grips with her mum's terminal cancer diagnosis.
The celebration, held at Inflatable World in St Mary's, was organised by a group of volunteers who came together to donate their time, food, cake, gifts and the venue so that Ella Duggan could share her 10th birthday with her mum, Lyn Rawlings, while it's still possible.
"This is about Ella, her mum and Aleisha and cancer's not in the picture today," western Sydney volunteer Brittany Locker told A Current Affair.
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Lyn who is a mum of six, and grandmother to three said she was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma in October 2024. Nine
Lyn who is a mum of six, and grandmother to three said she was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma in October 2024.
"I was getting pneumonia on and off all the time and then the doctors … they just kept checking and checking and checking and … they found cancer," Lyn said.
Since learning of her prognosis the mum is determined to live for as long as she can with her two youngest children, Ella and Aliesha, still in primary school. Nine
The highly aggressive cancer which started in her lungs has now spread to her liver.
"They turned around and said that, if it's grown anymore, there's not much more they can do for me," she said.
Since learning of her prognosis the mum is determined to live for as long as she can with her two youngest children, Ella and Aliesha, still in primary school.
The mum knows all too well that time is precious after losing her 19-year-old daughter Brianna Rawlings in December 2018 to Leukaemia.
Brianna passed away shortly after delivering her late son Kyden at 26 weeks via caesarean.
"Brianna would have been 25 but she's in heaven," Lyn said.
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A Current Affair reporter Pippa Bradshaw was invited along for the memorable day with some special gifts in tow, which were donated by the InterContinental Sydney by IHG, Merlin Entertainment and the Sydney Zoo. Nine
Knowing how quickly one's health can deteriorate, Lyn said she was forced to have some difficult conversations with her younger daughters.
Before long a plan was hatched to celebrate Ella's birthday in July instead of waiting until December to make the most of the time they have left together.
"Ella came up to me and said, 'Mummy … what happens if you're not here for my birthday'?" Lyn recalled.
"I said, 'Of course, I'll be here'. She said, 'yeah, but you might not' and I said, 'OK, what if we bring it forward'?"
A Current Affair reporter Pippa Bradshaw was invited along for the memorable day with some special gifts in tow, which were donated by the InterContinental Sydney by IHG, Merlin Entertainment and the Sydney Zoo.
"It means the world. The smile on her face when she walked in (with) her mum and her sisters, is priceless," Locker said.
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