Adelaide lacrosse community turns out to support girl, 5, with leukaemia
Margot Whinnen is coached by her dad Jesse at the Sturt Lacrosse Club (Supplied)
In short:
Five-year-old Margot Whinnen was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, a form of blood cancer, after reporting stomach pains last Friday.
Her family, who play for the local Sturt Lacrosse Club, have received support from the sport's local and global community.
What's next
Margot is undergoing chemotherapy in the Women's and Children's Hospital.
Within days of five-year-old Margot Whinnen being diagnosed and treated for acute myeloid leukaemia, a tight-knit sports community has rallied in support.
Margot was diagnosed with the blood cancer last Saturday after she had described painful symptoms, prompting her parents Jesse and Nicole to take her for tests.
"She was really bad, complaining of a stomach ache, she couldn't move, so we decided to take her in," said Mr Whinnen.
"The blood test came back with some surprising results so she got transferred to the Women's and Children's and then we found out it was acute myeloid leukaemia."
Margot immediately began chemotherapy at the Women's and Children's Hospital, where she remains.
Mr Whinnen said Margot will undertake four rounds of treatment and will likely remain in hospital for months.
"We've just got to deal with it and hopefully she pulls through with flying colours."
Lacrosse community comes together
In support of the Whinnen family, the South Australian lacrosse community held a fundraising fete dubbed 'Stick It 2 Leukaemia' in Brighton on Saturday, with hundreds in attendance.
A GoFundMe page established to support the family has raised more than $63,000.
"[It's] pretty overwhelming, very emotional but amazing that the whole community has gotten behind Margot and behind our family. We really appreciate it from everyone," said Mr Whinnen.
Traci Mathwin, a director of Lacrosse South Australia, said support for the Whinnen family had come in from across the globe.
"I drove up here this morning and you expect people to be a part of it, but I didn't expect people to be this involved," Ms Mathwin said.
"The kids, probably some of them don't understand, but the fact that they get to support Margot and Jesse and Nicole and [their] boys, Logan and Miles, is fabulous, it means a lot.
"Our community is a really tight community, so when things like this happen, even worldwide, World Lacrosse is on board."
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