A little blue-eyed girl, Leah Rose Els (2), passed away peacefully in her mother’s arms on May 1 after a brave battle with cancer. Though small, she made a huge impact on everyone around her.

In May last year, a few months after her first birthday, Leah was diagnosed with a small round blue cell tumour, later confirmed as Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive soft tissue cancer affecting skeletal muscles in children and young adults.

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She was first treated at Kiaat Hospital before being transferred to Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria. Her parents, Nico and Katelynn, faced significant financial strain travelling between Mbombela and Pretoria, and launched a BackaBuddy campaign to assist with medical and living expenses. Katelynn also stopped working to care for Leah full-time.

Her grand-mother, Lauren Kelly, shared details of Leah’s journey over the past few months.

Leah underwent chemotherapy to shrink a tumour in her lung. In August last year, the family regained hope when scans showed the tumour had disappeared, and she continued treatment targeting the cancer cells that were in the lining of the lung.

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Six weeks after her last treatment in December last year, the cancer spread more aggressively and spread further in her lung and started to attack the trachea, oesophagus and the lining of her heart. This worsened her breathing and led to further complications.

Leah underwent stronger chemotherapy, but it proved too harsh for her body. Despite efforts to explore alternative treatment options, her condition worsened, leading to a decline in her daily functioning as she grew weaker by the day.

“Leah Rose Els passed away peacefully surrounded by love. She is at rest and pain-free,” Kelly shared on Facebook.

Throughout her illness, Leah inspired those around her. She loved dancing to her favourite song, “The Glen” by Levi Heron, even during chemotherapy sessions. She also loved animals and spending time outdoors, and was described by her grandmother as a true bosmeisie.

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“She was too perfect for this world,” Kelly said. “She had incredible parents who gave her the raw love that I wish for every child.”

In her memory, Kelly plans to plant a rose and place an angel statue in her garden, and hopes to volunteer at the oncology ward at Rob Ferreira Hospital.

A funeral service will be held at 10 Busschau Road, Fairleads, Benoni, today, May 9 at 11:00, and will be live-streamed on YouTube. The family still has outstanding medical bills and has appealed to the public for donations. Members of the public who would like to make a donation may contact Nico on 079 390 8173.

Nico and Katelynn have also decided to support families affected by cancer where children are involved, like Leah. They hope to offer guidance, support or simply a listening ear to those going through a similar journey. This experience has taught them so much, and they hope to help others by sharing what they have learned and how they managed to get through it.