Amelia “Millie” Claire Mracek
To know Millie is to have been touched by a love for life that can only come from above. Just one look into her sparkling eyes and you felt your own spirit move with an instant burst of joy. After spending time with her, friends and family often said to us in wonder, “there is just something about Millie.” In fact, Millie’s vibrance for life was felt from the start when, to our surprise, we discovered her beautiful dimpled smile in a 3D ultrasound during pregnancy. We knew with overwhelming confidence that Millie’s life was created with purpose and that she had stories to tell this world.
Millie woke up early each morning already in love with the day. She adored playing outside, building, creating, playing soccer, gardening, attending preschool, and going to art and music classes with her friends. A beautiful smile barely ever left her face. Her mind was always at work learning and asking questions beyond her years. She fell in love with talking about the stars and planets this past winter. Every night, we would take our telescope in the backyard and look up and squeal in excitement at what we would discover in the night sky. Above everything, her favorite thing to do was to play with her little brother and best friend, Jack. Millie loved to take care of him, hold his hand as he learned to walk, and do the silliest things to make him belly laugh. They would play in the backyard together, teach him new words to say and games to play, and help him around the house. She would often say, “Don’t worry, mommy, I’ve got my eye on Jack!”
On May 1, 2020, Millie woke up and, out of the blue, the right side of her face was drooping a little. We immediately took her to the emergency room where the doctors were perplexed by her symptoms. For weeks, it was believed to be caused by an extreme middle ear infection causing pressure on her right facial nerve. After various medications and unsuccessful ear tube procedures, Millie's symptoms worsened and left her doctors more confused. After an MRI and various scans, doctors found a malignant tumor growing at the base of her skull, tangled up in several cranial nerves, as well as evidence of disease in her lungs. The tumor was diagnosed as embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, a soft tissue childhood cancer. This tumor was treatable and believed to be curable with prompt, aggressive chemotherapy and proton radiation.
We began treatment immediately with an intensive chemotherapy plan, combined with six and a half weeks of daily proton radiation at the onset and more radiation planned at the finish of chemotherapy. These treatments were grueling, an unimaginable ask of a child, over and over again. But they were working! Very early into treatment, we saw recovery in Millie’s facial movement and the disappearance of the tumor on scans. The greatest response to treatment that we could ever ask for. With each and every week, Millie showed up to the hospital for chemo, dressed in her Mighty Millie shirt and cape, with boldness and strength like we’ve never seen. Other than her physical hair loss, most days you would have had no idea what Millie’s body was actually fighting. Her energy and love for life sparkled through it all.
Covid had just begun worldwide, creating barriers at the hospital like never before. Only one parent could be with Millie for the majority of her treatments, no visitors, masks worn at all times, a covid “nose test” before each hospital visit, and almost all in-person volunteer services had been discontinued. We did everything we could from home to support Millie and keep her spirits high. We quickly began integrating holistic therapies from home, helping to reduce the toxic load on her body. We believe this allowed her to thrive during so many months of intensive treatment.
Almost to the finish line of treatment, we learned the most devastating news that the cancer had returned and spread throughout Millie’s precious body. The chemotherapy was no longer working to fight the cancer. It found its way to dangerous parts of the body, and we didn’t have much time. And just like every single day since her diagnosis, we began to fight—even harder. We sought opinions and guidance from institutions all over the country, explored clinical trials and treatment options, and fought for every available option for what would be the very best for Millie.
The treatment options were extremely limited. We spent the next month undergoing another grueling round of daily radiation treatments, followed by oral chemotherapy drugs from home. We asked the unthinkable of our brave, courageous, strong girl—to fight even harder. More treatment, more pokes, more scary car rides, more medicine, more side effects. And she did so valiantly. Yet, the cancer continued to grow. So we fought for every moment we had left earthside with our girl.
The most impossible ask of a parent is to now fight for ultimate Healing for your daughter. And that is exactly what we did. We spent every loving second reminding her that she is brave, strong, kind, a daughter of the King, and that her stories have changed the world forever.
The depths of this loss for our family is indescribable. Our hearts ache so deeply for our Millie. She taught us so much about living a life of full joy and seeing the magic in the everyday moments. As we move through each new day, we seek to honor her with beautiful small moments that bring great, big joy.
Cancer didn’t win. Mighty Millie did.
