A persistent, unexplained pain in a young Perth girl's foot, initially dismissed by scans, has led to a devastating double cancer diagnosis that has torn a family's world apart.
A Mystery That Scans Couldn't Solve
For months, 13-year-old Maddie Turner from Perth lived with a niggling pain in her foot. Despite multiple medical check-ups, including four X-rays and ultrasounds, doctors could not pinpoint the cause. The mystery took a dramatic turn when Maddie accidentally dropped her laptop onto her foot, resulting in a clear fracture. "They were looking at these X-rays and going: 'Well, she's got a fracture'," her mother, Cait Turner, 37, recalled. However, the family insisted the original pain had started long before the accident.
"Our concerns were just kind of falling on deaf ears," Cait said. "It was kind of just flaring up every now and then... Everyone just kept falling back on this fracture." Frustrated, Maddie's father, Mick Turner, 47, sought a second opinion from a specialist surgeon at Perth Children's Hospital in late October.
The Devastating Discovery
An X-ray at PCH raised immediate concerns, with medics stating the scans "didn't look right." Maddie was sent for an emergency MRI on October 24. "That's when something showed up," Cait said. A biopsy was swiftly scheduled for what was described as a possible tumour. Initially, surgeons called Cait while Maddie was under anaesthetic to express confidence it was merely a bone infection. Relieved, the family went home with a three-month course of antibiotics, believing the scare was over.
That relief was brutally short-lived. On November 3, a doctor called Cait with the crushing news: the biopsy was behaving like a sarcoma. Maddie was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare type of bone cancer. The treatment options presented were amputation or chemotherapy; the family chose chemotherapy. "My whole world started spinning around me," Cait said.
A Second Blow Rocks the Family
Just three days after Maddie's diagnosis, the family's nightmare deepened. Mick Turner, who had been ignoring persistent symptoms for about a year, underwent a pre-booked colonoscopy. When Cait went to collect him, she found him in tears. "I have cancer," he told her. He required emergency surgery to remove a tumour and 20cm of his bowel, spending weeks in Joondalup Hospital fighting complications.
Within days, this Perth family was grappling with two concurrent cancer battles. The conflicting treatment schedules meant father and daughter spent only a handful of days together during the most harrowing month of their lives. Maddie now faces an aggressive nine-month regimen of chemotherapy and radiation, confined to within an hour of the hospital due to the high risk of emergency fevers and need for blood transfusions.
The Overwhelming Toll of Treatment
The emotional and financial strain is immense. Maddie, a bright student who loves school, is likely to miss an entire year of her education. The family's two full-time incomes have ceased. Cait's workplace has offered a casual role, but her availability is uncertain, while Mick's income is precarious pending further treatment.
The costs are relentless: constant travel between hospitals, $1600 a fortnight in rent for their family of five, and unexpected medical expenses like Maddie's $3500 realistic wig. A GoFundMe page has been set up by Cait's sister, Rachel Ross, to support the family. "This family — who have never asked for a handout — have been living a nightmare no one deserves," Ross said.
Amid the darkness, Maddie's spirit shines through. She has requested both a mullet wig and a "Karen" wig to maintain her sense of humour, and her friends plan to rally around her with a head-shaving party. The Turner family's fight, stronger than pride, is now a daily battle for health and stability against unimaginable odds.
