In mid-2020, Molly began telling her parents that her ankle was hurting, but scans were not showing up with any issues.

Then after some blood tests, a doctor sent the family straight to Sydney, where they heard the words no parent wants to hear "it's leukaemia".

Since then, the Junee and wider Riverina community have rallied around the family by fundraising, dropping off meals and sending messages of support.

It culminated in Magic for Molly Day, which Molly's mum, Katrina Halliburton, said was "incredible".

Almost a year on since diagnosis, Molly is halfway through her seventh round of chemo.

"We are still in Sydney. We got to come home for two months, but now we will be here until the end of August," Mrs Halliburton said.

"It's tough because Mark and my son are in Junee.

"They left on June 20, and then the outbreak happened, and we went into lockdown, and they haven't been able to come back up, so it's just Molly and I at the moment."

After the seventh round is complete, Molly and her mum can come home for a month. Then it will be back to Sydney for her eighth, and hopefully final, round.

Mrs Halliburton said Molly is doing "really well" and her personality shines through, helped by her therapy dog Lola who visits a couple times a week.

"We have been looking back and thinking how we did we get through the last 11 months, and then we think how do we get through the next six," Mrs Halliburton said.

"At first, we went through a lot of struggles adjusting to hospital life, but now it's normal, which is good, but it's also unfair that a child at five has adjusted to that way of life."

Molly and her mum are staying inside during lockdown, not even venturing out for reasons allowed under public health orders because the risk of COVID is too dangerous.

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But, where Molly is a community ready to lend support forms around her.

"We are staying in a block of flats in Sydney, and the people here have been supportive of Molly and I," Mrs Halliburton said.

"We have food and little gifts dropped off for us, and the landlord is so lovely, and it's made a world of difference for our emotional wellbeing.

"We still get messages too from people in Junee seeing if we need anything and, when Mark is home, people drop food off for him. Junee is so wonderful."

August 6 will be 12 months since Molly was diagnosed, and Mrs Halliburton has one message she would like to share with the community in the lead-up to the anniversary.

"Donate blood," she said. "You can still do that even during lockdown. It's an excuse to get out the house, and you are helping someone to stay alive."

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