Northland family take on Step Up Sky Tower Challenge in bid to fundraise $30,000 for cancer

Frankie at 9 is a four-time leukaemia survivor.

Frankie Whitehead’s survival against leukaemia has at times depended upon those closest to her.

The young Northlander’s dad and brother have donated bone marrow which has contributed to her now beating cancer four times at the age of just 9.

This year marks the second time her family will climb 51 flights of stairs in the Sky Tower Challenge 2024 on August 4, in honour of her.

They aim to raise $30,000 for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer NZ, which contributes to potentially life-saving cancer research and is a charity close to their hearts.

Now in Year 5 at her local school, Frankie is doing what she does best - swimming, art and netball.

Frankie, 9, is currently fighting leukaemia for the fourth time. Photo / Supplied

But it’s an undeniable cloud over the family’s lives as they continuously share in Frankie’s relentless battle.

Much of her life has been spent in and out of hospitals - just two weeks after her third birthday she was first diagnosed.

Mum Hannah was 23 then, and dad, Dylan, 25. Frankie’s brother, Leo, was just 10 months.

Since the Advocate’s last story last year, Frankie had beaten leukaemia three times, and her most recent treatment, CAR T-cell therapy, seemed to be working.

The treatment in Australia involved extracting Frankie’s T-cells, where they were shipped to the US to be genetically modified to seek and destroy cancer before being placed back into Frankie’s body.

“So not long after we did the Skytower Climb [last year], Frankie was going for monthly bone marrow biopsies. We were hoping to see nothing because the CAR T was still working.”

Given her leaps and bounds forward, she went three months without a test.

But the next test resulted in finding a small amount of leukaemia cells in her marrow despite having no symptoms.

“It was an absolutely devastating blow,” Hannah said.

“We had nothing left to try other than what we did last year. So we ended up going [for one] last bone marrow transplant.”

This time, dad Dylan offered up a transplant for Frankie - brother Leo had gone through the same gruelling process years earlier at 4.

On New Years’ Day the family found out that new cancer cells had been discovered in her blood and there was nothing more to do for Frankie.

But incredibly those results turned out to be incorrect - instead it was an infection causing extremely high white blood cells.

At 9, Frankie is now a four-time cancer survivor.

Now back at home, the family have switched to monthly hospital check-ups to manage lingering complications and she receives weekly blood tests.

Hannah said it’s a different experience having a 9-year-old going through cancer.

“The challenge is with a 3-year-old that they don’t understand what’s going on. The challenge with a 9-year-old is that they do.”

Hannah said the best thing the family can do now is focus on how things are looking, day by day.

Yet after a long stint in hospital from the beginning of November to March this year, Hannah is grateful Frankie is out in the world.

“The clinical medical healing happens in hospital, but so much healing happens being at home with your dog, and your friends.”

Since being back home, their fighter, Frankie has started singing lessons.

She still enjoys art - and bunnies, Hannah makes sure to mention.

About a month ago she had a port in her chest that couldn’t get wet. After it was taken out she made sure to make the most of her new-found freedom.

“The first thing she did when [when the port came out] was go swimming in her wetsuit, in the middle of winter,” Hannah laughs.

This year Frankie’s biggest supporters will be climbing the Sky Tower including mum Hannah, dad Dylan, Hannah’s brother and his girlfriend, Hannah’s dad and her best friend and Dylan’s sister.

Hannah said Frankie is desperate to join in but will instead be cheering on the sidelines with brother, Leo.

Last year’s fundraiser reached an incredible $25,000 despite a goal of $15,000.

They’re determined to better that this year.

Hannah said she knows that $30,000 seems like a lot, but “many hands make light work.”

“We are incredibly grateful for any support people may be able to give,” she said.

To donate, visit: stepupchallenge.org.nz

Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.