Kellie Finlayson has fulfilled a childhood dream by visiting Disneyland with her husband, former Australian Football League player Jeremy Finlayson, and daughter Sophia while continuing treatment for terminal cancer.
The 30-year-old shared photos and videos on Instagram from the California theme park after undergoing major surgery on her lungs earlier this year. Kellie wore sparkling Minnie Mouse ears, a striped T-shirt and denim shorts as she explored the resort with her family.
During the trip, she enjoyed theme park rides, sampled treats including a chocolate-covered frozen dessert and met iconic Disney characters following years of chemotherapy and major operations.
Disneyland, located in Anaheim, California, is world famous for its immersive theme lands, historic Sleeping Beauty Castle and character experiences featuring Disney and Pixar personalities.
"Disneyland and adventure park, part 1," Kellie wrote in her Instagram caption. "I am literally pinching myself that we're here (what is my life?!) and mind blown at how truly magical this place is."
She added that the family had much more content to share from their trip, writing: "We have sooooo much more to share but here's a few happy snaps to start us off #invited. I'm out here living my childhood DREAMS - kind of cool that Soph gets to live hers too."
Family attractions and character moments
The shared posts captured several family moments across the park. One video showed Kellie and four-year-old Sophia raising their hands in the air during a ride, while another photograph showed the family in a boat passing through the open jaws of a whale.
Kellie posed beside the character Lightning McQueen inside the park's Cars-themed area. Jeremy carried Sophia on his shoulders during a visit to a Monsters, Inc. attraction, cuddled her at an outdoor café and held her for a photo in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Sophia enjoyed several character meet-and-greets during the holiday, meeting Toy Story favourites Jessie and Bo Peep. Another video clip showed Princess Tiana bending down to greet the youngster and take her hand.
In one poignant photograph, Sophia stood with her arms outstretched beneath a glowing display reading: "...and they lived happily ever after."
Ongoing cancer treatment and surgery
The family holiday follows another significant medical procedure for Kellie in her ongoing battle with stage four cancer. In June, she underwent a wedge resection on her left lung to remove active and inactive tumours, following a similar procedure on her right lung.
A wedge resection is a surgical operation that removes a small, triangle-shaped piece of lung tissue containing cancerous tumours while preserving as much healthy lung tissue as possible.
Kellie was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in November 2021 at the age of 25, just three months after giving birth to Sophia. She initially believed her early physical symptoms were connected to postpartum body changes.
Doctors initially diagnosed her with stage three bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, which originates in the colon or rectum. Scans revealed within 24 hours that the disease had spread to her lungs, raising her diagnosis to stage four terminal cancer.
Since her diagnosis, Kellie has endured more than 80 rounds of chemotherapy. Her long-term care strategy includes regular maintenance chemotherapy infusions alongside daily oral chemotherapy tablets.
Memoir and sports career
Kellie documented her medical journey, marriage and experience of motherhood in her 2025 memoir, titled There Must Be More. She married Jeremy Finlayson in 2023, after the couple previously postponed their wedding while she underwent intensive medical treatment.
Jeremy Finlayson played 128 games and kicked 166 goals as a forward in the Australian Football League, the highest professional level of Australian rules football. His career spanned spells with both Greater Western Sydney, based in New South Wales, and Port Adelaide, based in South Australia.
