A 4-year-old girl who complained to her mother about a pain in her foot is now fighting for her life after a heartbreaking diagnosis.
Mom Elle Rugari, from South Australia, told Newsweek about the night of September 25, 2025. Her daughter, Alice, had finished her bath when she mentioned her foot pain. After a normal day at child care, it didn’t immediately ring alarm bells for Rugari and her partner Cody.
The parents decided to keep an eye on it and settle Alice into bed as usual, but that calm was broken in the early hours of the night.
“She woke up screaming that night saying it hurt, so I gave her Panadol and a wheat bag, and she went back to sleep,” Elle said.
Over the following days, the pain came and went. Alice limped intermittently, sometimes crying out that it hurt badly. A GP appointment was booked for October 1, but before that date arrived, Alice’s behavior shifted in a way that was impossible to ignore.
“On September 30, she was really upset and asked for Panadol and to see a doctor,” Elle recalled. “She doesn’t like taking medicine or seeing doctors, so I knew it was something serious and took her to the emergency department.”
At the ER, doctors began with an X-ray of Alice’s foot. It showed nothing that could explain the severity of her pain, but other details soon emerged. A nurse noticed tiny, pinprick bruises scattered along Alice’s legs, and Alice still refused to put weight on her foot. Blood tests were ordered.
As they waited, Elle spotted noticeable swollen lumps along her daughter’s neck and pointed them out to staff.
“They did the blood tests, and they came back ‘a bit spicy’—the doctor’s words,” Elle added. “He said we were going to be transferred to the women’s and children’s hospital. I asked him straight up if he was thinking she may have leukemia, and he said yes.”
The diagnosis was confirmed the next day by an oncologist. Elle and Cody, who are also parents to Layla, 15, and 6-year-old Leo, were devastated.
But, within days, the initial shock turned into focus and determination to help Alice beat the disease. “There are still days where it feels so, so overwhelming, but she’s such a little champion,” Elle said.
Despite aggressive treatment, Alice sings and dances to Taylor Swift daily, even on days when her body is exhausted.
Three months into what will be a three-year treatment journey, Alice is on a high-risk pathway, meaning longer hospital stays and more intense therapy. The family has just completed the consolidation phase, a demanding period heavy with chemotherapy.
For now, there is a monthlong break from chemo as Alice undergoes an immunotherapy block.
Elle shared her daughter’s story in a clip on TikTok (@elle94x) where she proudly stated how Alice is battling the disease “with all her might.”
In the comments, many other parents shared similar experiences of their child’s arm and leg pain, which led them to a leukemia diagnosis.
What has remained constant is Alice’s spirit. She speaks openly about her leukemia, proudly owns her bald head and advocates fiercely for herself.
“She lets everyone around her know that she has leukemia and that she’s going to get rid of it,” Elle said. “She’s honestly the most amazing child.”
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