Happy rebirth day, dear Ava
ADORABLE Ava Stark, four, celebrates the one-year anniversary of the stem cell transplant that saved her life with a Christmas-themed party at her home
BRAVE Ava Stark will today mark her first “birthday” at the age of four.
A year ago, adorable Ava’s mum Marie declared the day she received a life-saving bone marrow transplant as “her new birthday”.
Today’s one-year anniversary is Ava’s first chance to mark it. And Christmas will come early too as the party has a festive theme.
Ava, from Lochgelly, Fife, was diagnosed with inherited bone marrow failure in April last year after a string of illnesses.
A matching donor was found but pulled out, prompting Marie to issue an appeal through the Daily Record.
More than 70,000 people signed up with Anthony Nolan and DKMS as a result. But there was heartache when a second donor had to pull out for medical reasons.
But the third time proved lucky for the youngster when a new match was found and she slept through the procedure on November 25 last year.
With the family home decked out in Christmas decorations including several Santa Claus statues, Marie, 34, told how Ava was looking forward to her party.
She said: “Ava knows she’s having a party for the one-year anniversary of her transplant but I don’t think she quite understands. She just thinks she’s lucky and has two birthdays. She’s doing fine now. She’s absolutely smashing it. It’s crazy considering where we were a year ago.
“Christmas is Ava’s time of year so we’re having a themed party. We’ve got fireworks, a hot tub, a barbecue regardless of weather.
“All our friends and family are coming together to celebrate.
“I’m hoping in the next year, she’ll get to go to school and I want her to get her jags again so that I can take her swimming because she loves it. It’s just the wee things I’m looking forward to.”
Marie added: “All the people who came forward to help us are absolutely amazing – I can’t thank them enough. But I would really like to see people keep registering.”
To find out more about joining the register, see www.anthonynolan.org or if you’re over 30,
www.dkms.org.uk
She just thinks that she is very lucky and has two birthdays MUM MARIE