However, this morning - thanks to efforts from her family and the wider community - little Skyla was treated to a birthday party complete with three birthday cakes, a "mad bubble scientist" and a visit from Frozen's Princesses Elsa and Anna.
Granddad Keith Hatwell - or Poppa as he's more commonly known - said the party was a great success and his brave granddaughter was "overwhelmed and excited" by the whole event.
"Poppa got painted up as Shrek so that was very cool," he said with a chuckle. "She was painted up as a little sparkly princess, then we had rainbows and fairies and lions...It was a good day really."
Around 50 to 60 people attended the celebration and Skyla's best friend and cousin Penny and playcentre friend Katie came up from Skyla's hometown of Tauranga for the occasion. They were joined by all the other kids staying at Ronald McDonald house with Skyla.
"She was very happy to see her friends, they went up and spent some time with her before the party.
"We also had a Chiefs rugby jersey there signed by Sonny Bill Williams, which we're going to auction off to raise funds," Mr Hatwell said.
The jersey will be listed on TradeMe to coincide with the first match of the Rugby World Cup.
Skyla Keating receives a temporary tattoo on her hand from Chanel Gray. Photo / Jason Oxenham
"We're all overwhelmed by the generosity shown by everyone," he said. "Tiki Taane's done a posting on his Facebook page and given us a couple of CDs."
The family have also been fundraising on a Givealittle page, which has reached over $11,000 in donations. The money is being raised to support immediate family members, with any excess going to child cancer research.
Skyla was diagnosed with the rare cancer when her father Jamie Hatwell became concerned after she started "stumbling around" after a school visit, he told the Herald last month.
Doctors initially diagnosed her with an ear infection, but a follow-up visit to Tauranga Hospital revealed the brain tumour. After being admitted to Starship Hospital for more tests, she was diagnosed with DPIG.
Her father described watching her energy levels change since her diagnosis.
"The hard thing is she used to be able to wake up at 6am and run around 'til 6pm and now in the morning, a couple of hours after radiation, she starts getting tired again."
DPIG is relatively rare in New Zealand, with only one or two children diagnosed annually.
Writing online, her mother Angie Keating said that while radiotherapy wasn't a cure, it could give them a "honeymoon period" in which Skyla could be a "normal kid" for a while.
She also described how difficult it was to see the effects of the tumour on her once-independent little girl.
"It will take all of the things she loves, it has already begun to take her walking, her speech, she can't move her left hand.
"Soon it will rob her of her ability to move, speak, hear, see, eat, drink and eventually breathe."
While she was realistic about the likely outcome for her daughter, she still had hopes.
"I hope she has an amazing life, that she isn't scared, that she knows she is loved and she has a peaceful death. What more could I hope for?"
•A tumour found in part of the brain stem near the top of the spinal cord. •It's located in the part of the brain that controls a number of important bodily functions, like breathing, sleeping, bladder control and balance. •It's a diffuse tumour meaning it's not isolated and the cancer cells mix with the healthy cells. •It primarily affects children, with most diagnoses occurring between 5 and 12 years of age. •It's diagnosed in one to two children each year in New Zealand.
