Abigail La Porta was bathing her six-month-old daughter when she discovered a small lump on the baby's head, a moment that would alter their lives forever. "I felt her head and felt a little lump," Ms La Porta told the Daily Mail.
Like many concerned first-time parents, she promptly took little Ayla to the doctor. Initially, they were told it was likely an underdeveloped skin layer that would resolve within weeks. However, the lump grew larger, prompting increased worry. Ms La Porta returned to the doctor, who then referred Ayla for an ultrasound. Doctors interpreted the scan as a benign cyst.
Ms La Porta and her husband, Hakan, were informed that a simple day surgery would remove the lump and life would return to normal. Instead, this marked the beginning of a heart-wrenching, years-long ordeal. Ayla, now three, has been fighting a rare cancer since that small lump was discovered on her head when she was just six months old.
Devastating Diagnosis
In November 2021, the family received the worst possible news. "As they opened her head they realised it was not a cyst but a type of tumour which was cancerous," Ms La Porta said. "We were really shocked and I fainted when I heard it. It was hard to comprehend that my child had cancer. For this to happen, I just felt like 'Why our family? What's wrong with her?'"
Ayla began treatment, including surgery and chemotherapy, for a very rare and aggressive cancer known as BCOR-ITD sarcoma. After 18 months of treatment, she entered remission until a routine scan in March revealed a 1cm tumour in the same area. Doctors informed the family that Ayla would need to have a vital vein removed from her head. "They said 'If we don't do this, the tumour will keep coming back and she'll die within two years'," Ms La Porta recalled.
Treatment Journey
Following the operation, tests confirmed the tumour contained active cancer cells. Ayla now requires specialised proton radiotherapy, an advanced and highly targeted treatment that offers the best chance of eliminating remaining cancer cells while reducing long-term side effects. This treatment is not available in Australia, so the Sydney couple must travel to Florida with their three-year-old daughter.
"There's been successful cases of it working and other people's cancers not coming back, so it seems to be a successful treatment for children my daughter's age," Ms La Porta said. While the Australian government will cover treatment costs, the family must pay for travel, living expenses, and accommodation during their three-month stay in America, without earning wages.
The family has launched a GoFundMe campaign aiming to raise $20,000 as they await paperwork processing before heading to the United States. "Any contribution, no matter the size, will go directly towards ensuring our daughter can receive the critical care she needs and easing the financial burden on our family," Ms La Porta said.
A Mother's Hope
Proton radiotherapy has proven effective and highly precise for BCOR-ITD sarcomas, a type of tumour that develops in connective tissues such as muscle, fat, or soft tissue. Ms La Porta dreams of the day when Ayla can enjoy a normal childhood again. "When she was cancer-free for a year she was just so happy. She loves dancing and playing and going to the park," she said. "She used to love going to daycare and playing with her friends. She was just a normal, happy baby. We just want to get back to normal again. I don't want this cancer to keep coming back."
