MY WIG DAY
Transplant hero Ava celebrates fifth birthday her mum thought she’d never see with longest, curliest present ever
BRAVE transplant youngster Ava Stark celebrated her fifth birthday with a new look.
Ava, who beat the odds to survive bone marrow failure, spent the day bowling with her friends and family – wearing a long curly wig. She received a life-saving bone marrow transplant a year ago after a worldwide search for a donor. And she is now going from strength to strength. Mum Marie said yesterday: “Ava has a cupboard full of toys from Christmas so we asked her if she wanted anything in particular for her birthday this year. “She had a good think about it and said, ‘I know mum, I want new hair.’ Her hair is short and wiry and she really wanted long hair. “I said to her I didn’t think the birthday fairy would manage it but then a work colleague suggested that I get her a wig. “I looked on the internet and found this gorgeous long, curly one. “When she opened it she shouted, ‘My hair!’ She was so excited and was flicking it away from her face. It was really windy on Saturday and when she looked out the window, she decided it was best to leave her new hair in the house in case it blew away.”
Marie, 35, from Lochgelly, Fife, added: “I can’t believe the difference in her in just 12 months. She’s doing amazingly well and we are just so thankful to her donor.
“They’ll never know how much it means to us. They are and always will be our hero.
“She’s hopefully starting back at a new nursery. And we’re hoping she’ll be able to start school in August.”
Ava was given the Jack Petchey Young Hero of the Year award by charity Anthony Nolan last year.
She was also named a Daily Record Little Hero after her touching story prompted more than 83,000 people to sign up as potential bone marrow donors.
The family were forced to give up their dog Taz because of Ava’s compromised immune system.
But she now has a new best pal in the form of chocolate labrador Lola.
For information on donation, visit www. anthonynolan.org.