Devastating diagnosis for three-year-old girl who thought she had tonsillitis
<p>Three-year-old Arlee O'Mahoney from Queensland has been "pretty unwell" for the last few months, according to her mum Kelli O'Mahoney.</p>
<p>Arlee developed an ear infection and tonsillitis which she "just couldn't shake".</p>
<p>When Arlee’s tonsils became so “swollen she was having trouble breathing” and she looked a “little pale”, doctors took a blood test.</p>
<p>This was when the family was told devastating news: Arlee had leukemia, which was affecting her body's ability to fight off other infections.</p>
<p>“Because her white and red blood counts were so low, they couldn’t fight the common things she was picking up, probably just from kindy,” O’Mahoney told <a rel="noopener" href="https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/gold-coast-girls-tonsillitis-symptoms-found-to-be-precursor-to-leukemia-c-2552648" target="_blank">7NEWS.com.au.</a></p>
<p>Things got worse for the family after it was revealed that little Arlee had acute myeloid leukemia, which is a rare form of the disease that has a 60 to 80 per cent treatability rate.</p>
<p>“It’s not one of the better ones to have,” O’Mahoney said.</p>
<p>Arlee is eight days into chemotherapy and is set to have four rounds of treatment, which isn't something her mother is looking forward to.</p>
<p>“She knows she’s sick,” O’Mahoney said.</p>
<p>“Other than that, she’s pretty well right now.</p>
<p>“She’s handling it really well. She’s really strong and brave.</p>
<p>“She’s still her bubbly self.”</p>
<p>The family has turned to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/arlees-courage-fight-against-lukemia?member=9807462&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer" target="_blank">GoFundMe</a><span> </span>to raise money for the family as Kelli and her husband have to miss work as Arlee will be spending months in Queensland Children's Hospital, with more than $19,000 being donated.</p>
<p>“You just don’t realise until you’re in that environment - in Arlee’s ward alone - how many kids need blood,” O’Mahoney said.</p>
<p>“It opens your eyes up to how important it is, if you can, to donate blood.”</p>
