TT Beautiful 6-Month-Old Millie DeClercq Lost Her Brave Battle With Rare Cancer – Now Her Family is Turning Heartbreak Into Hope With a Powerful New Foundation 😢💔 Who’s Inspired by This Little Angel’s Legacy?
A family honored their late daughter with a blood drive, launching the Millie Moo Foundation to support pediatric cancer families and save lives.
PORT BYRON, Ill. — A local family turned unimaginable loss into lifesaving hope Friday, hosting a blood drive to honor their daughter, Millie DeClercq, who died from a rare pediatric cancer at just 6 months old.
“Millie was a sweet 6-month-old little girl. She had little bright blue eyes and a smile that could light up any room. Little chunky baby too, those chunky little thighs and everything,” said Laura Cary, Millie’s aunt.
Millie lost her life to a malignant rhabdoid tumor, an aggressive pediatric cancer so rare that only a few dozen cases are diagnosed each year.
“Just a beautiful little girl,” said Wesley DeClercq, Millie’s dad. “She was always smiling, always happy.”
In the 17 days Millie spent at the University of Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital, she endured extensive treatment and relied heavily on blood donations.
She received around 20 platelet and blood transfusions. Her parents, Wesley and Gabby DeClercq, said the transfusions were critical to keeping Millie alive during her fight.
Those experiences inspired the family to create the Millie Moo Foundation, named after one of Millie’s nicknames.
Saturday marked the foundation’s first-ever event: the Millie Moo “Gift of Life” Blood Drive, held in association with ImpactLife.
“Blood transfusions were important and very vital during Millie’s treatment,” said Cary, who is also president of Millie Moo Foundation. “So, we had the hope to give back.”
More than 50 people signed up to donate, prompting organizers to open additional appointment slots. Foundation staff said each unit of blood can save up to three lives.
Family friend and blood donor Sue Bull-Welch said it was the most crowded blood drive she’d ever seen.
“Amazing that they could come from such horrible times for their whole family and use it to help other families,” Bull-Welch said.
The Millie Moo Foundation was established in October 2025 and is already supporting families facing pediatric cancer, while keeping Millie’s memory alive and honoring her legacy.
“It’s very surreal to know that a life of six months old has made such an impact,” Cary said.
The foundation is planning additional fundraising events, including a Liftathon on April 11 at KT3 Fitness in Port Byron and a golf outing in late July at Byron Hills Golf Course. More information about the Millie Moo Foundation is available on its website and Facebook page.
