The family of St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt have announced that Nick’s sister Madeleine passed away after a five-year battle with cancer.
Madeleine was just 26.
Nick Riewoldt and his family released a statement today about Madeleine’s passing, saying she couldn’t fight any longer. The family have also called for the public to sign up to the Bone Marrow registry and the Red Cross Blood Donation.
After a five-year battle, two bone marrow transplants and seven months in hospital fighting Aplastic Anaemia, Madeleine Riewoldt, 26, couldn’t fight any longer and her incredibly brave battle ended this morning at Royal Melbourne Hospital with family – Mum: Fiona, Dad: Joe, Brothers: Nick and Alex, Sister in law: Catherine and Nephew: baby James by her side.
“We are so proud of Madeleine for fighting as long and hard as she did. This spirit is a testament to her strength, she inspired us and so many and will continue to do so. We are grateful for and cherish the 26 years we shared as a family and she will remain in our hearts always,” the Riewoldt family said.
Madeleine’s wishes were for greater awareness to the need for people to sign up to the Bone Marrow registry at http://www.abmdr.org.au and Australian Red Cross Blood donation at www.donateblood.com.au and we ask that media assist with getting this message out.
The Riewoldt family are so appreciative of the fantastic work and support of the Royal Melbourne hospital staff, in particular the ICU and Bone Marrow teams.
The Riewoldt family now ask for privacy during this time.
Our thoughts are with the Reiwoldt family.
Top Comments
Sad news, however Aplastic anaemia is not cancer; it is a type of bone marrow failure. This is where the stem cells made by the bone marrow are destructed, resulting in low red blood cells (anaemia), white blood cells (unable to fight infections) and platelets ( causing abnormal blood clotting). It is one of the many blood disorders people suffer from, whom can benefit greatly from your blood, plasma or platelet donation!
I will never understand the notion that someone ''fights'' an illness. Sure, one's body has various defence mechanisms, so it's not a wild analogy, but you get sick, you get the best advice available to treat whatever it is with whatever medical science has to offer. Sometimes the treatment works really well, sometimes quite well / temporarily, and quite often it simply does not work. You ''fighting'' has little to do with it. You endure it, what choice do you have, treatment and illness are often both very painful and nasty, and then either you recover or you don't. ''She stopped fighting''. No. Her ailment was unable to be treated effectively. It irks me because there's a hint of ''well, if you REALLY fought, if you tried harder...'' and a notion that somehow, by positive thinking, we can affect the outcome of diseases and conditions that have been killing us since the dawn of humankind. ''Think positive, really visualise and your TB / bone cancer will melt away.''. No. No it won't. That poor girl endured a life of probably painful treatment and now has died. Fighting doesn't come into it.
Get over yourself Caroline, not the time and place for your little rant......if this poor family are announcing the loss of their dear daughter,sister,aunt after a tough fight of five years then I think they have the right to do so, don't you??
To the Riewoldt family, I am so sorry for your loss of your dear Madeleine. May she rest in peace.XO
And I don't understand how this is an issue. Your body fights off illness, therefore you fight the disease. Some diseases are too strong for the body but that doesn't mean there was a lack of willpower, or the lack of mental strength to fight the disease. The difference between 'She fought hard' and 'Her body fought hard' is purely semantics.
Rest is peace, Madeleine