WITH heavy hearts a Newcastle family has announced the death of their young daughter after a four-year battle with an aggressive brain cancer.
Imogen Rea was diagnosed at just nine days old on Christmas Eve 2020 with congential glioblastoma multiforme grade four, a rare form of brain cancer with minimal research.
After years of fighting, it was a heartbreaking start to 2024 for the Rea family when an MRI on New Year's Eve showed the cancer had spread to Imogen's spine, leaving her in a quadriplegic state.
Her parents Christie and Brad, and her four sisters, were given the shattering news by her oncologist and neurosurgeon that she "probably does not have long to live".
On Thursday, January 11, the four-year-old "gently and peacefully" passed away, her mother wrote in a Facebook post.
"Our darling Imogen ... she was four years and one month old to the day," it read.
"It is just like her to be particular about the details like that."
In the days before her death she underwent preparation for radiation therapy and had her first session on Wednesday, January 10.
"She had a really good morning at radiation, saying thank you to her radiation oncologist after the success of her one and only radiation session," Mrs Rea wrote.
Prior to the treatment she had fluid around her lung which was impacting her breathing and made an already tricky medical situation almost impossible.
"It was a race against time to get the radiation done so that the lung can subsequently be dealt with," Mrs Rea said.
Despite success with radiation, Ms Rea said her daughter rapidly declined that afternoon and into the night where she fought "valiantly" until her very last breath.
"She was surrounded by her sisters, who beautifully loved and kissed and cared for her into the early hours of the morning.
"Brad sang songs to her and I was able to hold her and cuddle her to sleep for the last time until Jesus comes," she wrote.
"She is forever four and forever my strong and brave little girl.
"I'm so blessed and honoured to have loved and been loved by her."
Mrs Rea said they feel utterly lost and heartbroken without her.
"We are in so much grief right now. Words can't possibly describe the big gaping hole in our hearts from losing our baby girl."
"No parent should have to say goodbye to their four-year-old. No sibling should have to say goodbye to their little sister. It is utterly crushing and devastating.
"Please pray for us to find strength each day from now until heaven, because that's how long this pain will last."
The Rea family have continued to thank the medical team at John Hunter Hospital and the support of Macquarie College, Wallsend Adventist Church where Mr Rea is a chaplain and their friends.
"Thank you for sticking with us through thick and thin over these four beautiful challenging years. Thank you for the prayers, the care packages, financial gifts, and thank you to the amazing and expert medical teams and researchers who contributed to Imogen's fight against cancer."
She said the family were grateful and appreciated any messages and phone calls in the coming days and weeks.
"We apologise if we can't always respond but please know that it means so much. We will want to talk about Imogen and you can ask us questions. We absolutely adored her and want the memory of her to stay fresh."
It had been a draining and shattering journey for the family who have spent countless hours in and out of hospital, watching Imogen undergo multiple surgeries and praying for a miracle.
Mrs Rea gave birth to Imogen on December 11, 2020. The horror started when she woke to feed her around 7am on December, 19 and she was unresponsive, cold and barely breathing.
They were rushed to John Hunter Hospital, where doctors identified a mass on Imogen's brain and placed her in a humidicrib.
Doctors would later tell the family it was likely a cherry-sized tumour had started bleeding and pushing on Imogen's brain stem.
John Hunter Hospital oncologist Dr Frank Alvaro delivered Imogen's initial diagnosis back in 2020 and said most of the country's hospitals had never treated it.
He said it was one of the worst, most aggressive cancers known to mankind.
Throughout Imogen's cancer journey updates have been shared on the Pray for Imogen Facebook page and the GoFundMe page (gofundme.com/f/imogen-rea-newborn-diagnosed-with-brain-cancer) where people have donated a total of $134,500 to assist the family in a difficult time.
