Renae Macpherson has spent a long time praying for a miracle.
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But, lately, the only prayer remaining was that her baby girl would die without pain.
At 5.30am on Tuesday this final prayer was answered when the beautiful and brave Ruby-Rose Milton lost her battle with cancer.
“We are just devastated, but she died peacefully while I was holding her hand,” Ms Macpherson said.
“Ruby-Rose was very brave, very cheerful and very cheeky and she left a stamp on the hearts of everyone she met.”
It’s been five heartbreaking months since Ruby-Rose, 3, was diagnosed with the aggressive childhood cancer known as neuroblastoma.
The disease then spread to her liver, bone marrow while multiple tumours continued to spread throughout her body.
During this time Ms Macpherson chronicled her daughter’s cancer journey on social media attracting 54,000 followers to her facebook page.
“So many people have followed this journey and they just loved Ruby-Rose instantly,” Ms Macpherson said.
Earlier this year Ruby Rose was accepted into an American/Australian clinical trial offering new treatment to help children suffering with relapsed neuroblastoma.
However, in late March her parents decided not to continue with the therapy and to let their little girl live out her remaining days with her loved ones.
But bald from unimaginable amounts of chemotherapy and jaundice from liver cancer, Ruby-Rose was admitted to hospital 10 days ago for palliations.
“This is just a devastating disease and children who relapse from this simply don’t survive. But as her mother I had to know I did everything I could,” Ms Macpherson said.
Late last year Ruby and her family moved from Stanford Merthyr to Newcastle to be closer to her treatment.
“Before Ruby-Rose went into hospital we were lucky enough to grant almost all of her wishes and create some beautiful memories with her,” Ms Macpherson said.
“But all she wanted was to turn five like her sister but now that will never happen.”
Ruby-Rose will be buried privately and peacefully on Friday.
Neuroblastoma remains the leading single cause of cancer deaths in children under five years and, sadly, there has not been a major change in the survival rate during the past decade.
A mother's poem
Sleep my beautiful Ruby-Rose in your pillow in the sky
Angels are forever so I never said goodbye
If tears could build a stairway or memories build a lane
I’d run right up to heaven and bring you home again
I sat and watched your painful journey from the old world to the new
Someday I will take that journey just to be with you
And when I reach that special place where there is no more pain
I will put my arms around you and we will never be apart again
Rest In Peace Baby Girl
Love Always Mummy