The federal government has rejected a request to send a two-year-old girl overseas for specialised cancer treatment, as her family continues to campaign for access to therapy not currently available in Australia.
Layla Davis was diagnosed late last year with Alveolar Rhabdomyosarcoma in her left thigh. The cancer has since spread to her pelvis and upper thigh.
Since her diagnosis, Layla has undergone intensive treatment.
“So far, she’s been through 17 rounds of chemo and 18 rounds of radiation. We’ve got five rounds of radiation left,” her mother, Katherine Irvine, told 7News.
Doctors recommended proton beam radiation therapy – an advanced form of radiation that targets tumours more precisely than traditional methods and is used overseas for some childhood cancers to limit damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
Layla’s family applied to the federal government’s overseas treatment program, which funds travel when a therapy is not available domestically, but their request was denied.
“Unfortunately, the government decided that Layla does not fit the criteria that they had made for the travel program,” Irvine said.
“They basically said that because Layla has a poor prognosis that she doesn’t deserve to go overseas for treatment, even though it’s quite standard practice in countries that do have proton therapy.”
When asked how the decision made her feel, Irvine said: “Really angry. Really, really angry. They basically put our daughter in a box.”
Despite months of treatment, she said her daughter continues to show resilience.
“She shouldn’t have to be like this but she’s been amazing. She just is fighting this with everything that she’s got and she’s more courageous and brave than we are,” she said.
Australia committed more than $100 million to a proton therapy facility in Adelaide, but the project collapsed after a dispute with a supplier in 2024, since then no alternative arrangement has been made.
The issue has reached federal parliament, with Shadow Health Minister Anne Ruston tabling a petition signed by more than 27,000 people calling for urgent action.
“I’m about to walk into the Chamber of the Senate and table this petition with 27,000 signatures on, calling on the federal government and the South Australian government to make good with their promise to provide proton beam therapy, particularly to children in Australia like they promised they would do,” Ruston said.
“It is really distressing that years and years after a promise was made to Australian families who have children who have particular types of cancer who were promised that they’d be able to get their treatment at home, today we are still waiting for that treatment to be made available in Australia.
“That means that children are forced to go overseas, and, in some instances, we worry that this could risk the lives of young Australians because the Australian governments have sat on their hands and still have not delivered on a promise that was made years ago.”
Some families have managed to travel overseas for treatment, often relying on community fundraising.
In Florida, Australian mother Shannon Kelly is supporting her one-year-old son Cruz through proton radiation treatment for stage four brain cancer.
“In December 2024, we were told that our gorgeous four-month-old baby Cruz was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain cancer,” Kelly said.
“We were told that we would need to travel across the world with a vulnerable and very sick child to Florida, Jacksonville to receive that treatment.”
“We arrived in Jacksonville after 26 hours of travel, which is obviously daunting with a young baby, let alone a baby with stage four brain cancer.”
Kelly said the care in the United States had been strong, but the distance from home had added to the strain.
“Having to travel all of that way, uproot our lives without our community support during a time which has been utterly devastating and heartbreaking, has been really overwhelming,” she said.
“We were absolutely devastated when we found out that Australia had a empty building which was meant to house the proton radiation machine.”
“It was devastating to know that the project was kicked off so long ago and that children years and years later are still suffering and having to fly all the way across the world when extremely sick just to receive this treatment,” she said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government recognised the pressure on families.
“We understand this is an incredibly difficult situation and these families are going through a very hard time,” the spokesperson said.
“Easier and quicker treatment is important for these families which is why the Health Minister is working with relevant states to resolve this issue.”
For Layla’s family, the focus remains on her care and ensuring other children may one day have access to the treatment in Australia.
“I want the Australian government to get proton therapy. I want someone to be held accountable. I want the government to make this a priority for our children in Australia that are going through cancer,” Irvine said.
Images: 7News
