Briar's family share scary cancer journey

A purple heart-shaped bead marks the end of a 2 1/2-year battle with leukaemia for Hamilton schoolgirl Briar Miller.

Last month adding that bauble to her five-metre string of cancer treatment beads signalled the end of Briar's harrowing run of chemotherapy, blood transfusions, bone marrow tests, lumbar punctures and steroids. The steroids "played havoc" with Briar's state of mind, say her parents, Brent and Rochelle Miller.

"This is the scary time now," Mrs Miller admits.

"Briar is in remission, the treatments have stopped and now we just wait to see what happens."

The Millers are sharing their story to give other families facing the daunting prospect of cancer hope and encouragement.

"That's the thing. It's not just the child that has cancer – it affects the entire family," Mrs Miller said.

The Waikato Times has followed Briar's progress since she was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and, though this is a high point in the family's story, they admit there have been many lows.

"The hardest thing was seeing Briar go through this – but she has been so brave." Mrs Miller said.

Despite Briar having painful lumbar punctures and injections, she cried only once, her father said.

"But I guess when you are injected straight into the bone it's going to hurt," he said.

"She has been amazing."

Briar will now face monthly blood tests for two years and six-weekly oncologist appointments but the big hurdles have been negotiated.

"We now need to go five years without treatment before we can say she is cured," Mrs Miller said.

This weekend an excited Briar is off to Auckland for the Lady Gaga concert, an experience she "can't wait for".

"I love her song The Fame Monster – and I can't wait to see what she wears, her clothes are really weird," Briar said.

Joining Briar at the concert will be her brother Joel, 13, who has "supported her more than anyone else", according to Mr Miller, who recalls countless nights in Starship hospital where Joel's antics kept Briar's mind far from thought about cancer.

"There was one particular night when he filled two latex medical gloves with water, pierced tiny holes in them and pretended to be Farmer Brown milking his cow," he said.

"The nurses had been watching this for some time and eventually asked us to tone things down as it was about 11 o'clock at night."

Briar, Joel and their two other brothers Brook, 18, and Jayden, 16, are planning an end-of-treatment party.

"We want to personally thank so many people for their kindness, their generosity and love," Mrs Miller said. "We would find presents on the doorstep with meals and cards – one of the teachers at Hukanui School arrived with a three-course meal, it's been unbelievable."

Which is why the Millers want other cancer families to know that there is hope.

"The best advice we got was to take each day as it comes and, if that's too hard, then take each hour or even each minute – we know – because there were days when every minute we had with our daughter was a gift," Mrs Miller said.

Child Cancer Foundation collectors will be out this weekend. Donations can be made directly to the foundation or bead bracelets purchased for $5.

- © Fairfax NZ News