Miley's mission

Miley featured in the 2016 MHF Beanie Campaign

Miley was 6 years old when she was diagnosed with brain cancer, when she was 10 she featured in our Beanie for Brain Cancer campaign. Now this beautiful 15 year young lady is on a mission. In a speech to her school she explains why she's so passionate about helping the Mark Hughes Foundation and inspires her peers to make a difference. You inspire us to make a difference everyday - thank you Miley!

A Message from Miley

I was diagnosed with a rare type of Brain Cancer when I was six. Brain cancer can form in any part of the brain. For me, mine was located in the back of my skull between the cerebellum and the brain stem.

The cause of most childhood brain tumors is still unknown and the signs and symptoms are not the same for every child.

Six year old Miley had to learn to walk again

What began simply as poor eyesight and trouble balancing, things became worse and I began to bump into things and my legs would just give way from underneath me. Weeks later after a number of doctor and specialist appointments, a head and spine MRI confirmed the diagnosis.

I didn’t leave the hospital. Mum was told to go home and pack a bag because I was being prepared for surgery the next morning. The operation lasted 11 hours. I was left unconscious, not responding and couldn’t breathe on my own. A ventilator was used to take over the work of my breathing for the next 4 weeks.

I stayed in hospital for 3 months because I couldn’t move any of my arms or legs. I was mute and I needed to be tube fed. It’s taken years of rehabilitation to help me re-learn how to walk, talk and eat again.

But after a long battle I’m now here to ask you all to help me, in supporting the Mark Hughes Beanie for Brain Cancer Campaign.

The Beanie for Brain Cancer fundraising and awareness campaign not only heightens awareness for brain cancer, but most of all, they raise much needed funds to find better treatment, outcomes, fund brain cancer nurses and ultimately find a cure.

These little beanies not only help patients battle brain cancer today – but they give hope for brain cancer patients of the future.

I’m one of the very few lucky survivors and my hope for the future is that no one has to go through this battle that is brain cancer.

Together we can make a difference, we can all donate in support of this worthy campaign. So let’s pop on our Mark Hughes Foundation beanies and have a successful fundraiser.