Former 'TOWIE' Star Amy Childs Shares Family Heartache as Five-Month-Old Relative Is Diagnosed with Terrible Disease

Five-month-old Lila is fighting a devastating cancer diagnosis — and the "TOWIE" star is begging fans to help.

Reality TV star Amy Childs has made a heart-wrenching appeal to her social media followers after her cousin's tiny baby girl was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive brain tumour.

The former "TOWIE" favourite, 35, took to social media on Wednesday, 4 March, urging fans to rally behind her cousin Hannah Brincat's desperate fundraising campaign for five-month-old Lila — a baby already enduring a brutal fight for survival.

Amy shared the plea with her more than one million Instagram followers, asking them to donate or simply spread the word as the family scrambles for hope.

A Devastating Diagnosis at Just Three Weeks Old

Lila was diagnosed with Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumour (AT/RT) — a very rare, fast-growing, and highly aggressive cancer that forms in the brain and spinal cord of children aged three and younger.

Sharing a screenshot of Hannah's JustGiving page on her Instagram Stories, Amy wrote an emotional message urging people to help:

"Please, if you can, help support my cousin's beautiful daughter Lila. She's fighting so hard and every donation makes a difference. Even sharing this means a lot. Thank you all so much."

On the fundraiser page, Hannah revealed the unimaginable ordeal her daughter has already endured. The tiny infant was diagnosed when she was just three weeks old, plunging the family into a terrifying medical battle almost immediately after her birth.

What followed was a gruelling nine-hour surgery to remove the tumour, followed by chemotherapy treatments that began when Lila was only five weeks old.

'Our Lives Have Been Turned Upside Down'

Despite the unimaginable challenge, Hannah says her daughter has shown incredible strength. But the family's hopes were shattered when an MRI scan revealed devastating news.

"Unfortunately after 6 rounds of chemotherapy, an MRI showed the tumour has returned. We were told that treatment would not continue and we were out of options 💔," she wrote.

The diagnosis has completely upended their lives.

Hannah revealed she spent four months living in hospital, separated from her other three children, before the family moved into a children's hospice just over two weeks ago. "Our lives have been turned upside down and we are devastated," she lamented.

A Last-Ditch Search for Hope

Even in the face of overwhelming odds, Lila's family refuses to give up. Hannah explained they have contacted an oncologist in Toronto who is leading research into AT/RT in the hope of securing a second opinion.

"We have no idea if there are any options for us, what they could be and how much it might cost us," she wrote.

Although the fundraising target was set somewhat randomly, Hannah said the family wants to be prepared in case a potential treatment becomes available.

"Be assured your donations will not go to waste. If our efforts don't pay off, your donations will be given generously to the lovely charities who have supported us during this time," she concluded.

At the time of publication, the fundraiser had already surpassed its £25,000 goal, suggesting Amy's emotional plea may have provided the crucial push the family needed.

'Praying for This Beautiful Child'

The heartbreaking story has sparked an outpouring of support online. Social media users flooded the comments with prayers and messages of hope for the infant.

"Oh please dear lord jesus heal this beautiful child 🙏🙏 bless her ❤️❤️ xx," one person wrote. "God that's awful. Sending positive thoughts," another shared. "Awww, Truly heartbreaking," a third cried.

Others urged the tiny fighter to keep battling. "Aww this is devastating. Praying and healing thoughts to the family! Fight hard baby girl ❤️," one netizen wrote. "Poor little soul. God bless this baby," someone else added.

Amy's Own Family Life in the Spotlight

Amy herself is a proud mother of four. The model welcomed twins — a boy and a girl named Billy River and Amelia Mae — with her fiance Billy Delbosq in April 2023.

She also shares two older children, Polly and Ritchie, from previous relationships. Polly, Billy, and Amelia frequently appear on Amy's social media and reality shows — but fans have long noticed that her son Ritchie is rarely seen.

Back in 2020, Amy addressed the situation after being bombarded with questions from followers, suggesting she loved Polly more than she loved Ritchie. She explained that the decision to publicly exclude him was made jointly with his father.

"I must get about 20 messages a day about Ritchie, but basically me and Ritchie's dad agreed together not to put Ritchie on social media or TOWIE. We won't put him on social media or TV until he is old enough to make that decision himself," she shared.

Amy admitted the decision has not been easy.

"All the constant messages questioning my love for Ritchie does get me down though because I love my children exactly the same," she said. "Having one in the public eye and one not doesn't reflect how much I love them. It is just different decisions based on different dads."

For now, Amy is channeling that same fierce maternal love toward baby Lila — a tiny girl whose story has touched thousands and whose fight is far from over.