A new beginning Celebration as brave Amelia rings bell to mark end of cancer treatment
Hamilton schoolgirl Amelia Mackie rang the bell to signal the end of two years of gruelling cancer treatment.
The pretty seven-year-old – who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia aged just five – celebrated in style last Friday with her proud mum and dad Karla and Chris, and siblings Christopher, Ava, Aaron, Ariana and Arlo.
The family of eight held a private lockdown party in their Hamilton home which was filled with balloons, banners, ribbon, cakes and a buffet, all kindly donated by the Lanarkshire community in celebration of Amelia.
Mum Karla said: “Friday was a huge day for Amelia and signals a new beginning all round.
“A huge thank you to everyone for their well wishes and messages of support for Amelia and our family over the last two years, and indeed on Friday when she bravely rang her bell surrounded by her brothers and sisters.
“The kindness shown has been phenomenal. We had people chapping the door to safely deliver food, balloons, gifts and more to help us celebrate.
“Thank you to Emma Allan at Rocca restaurant in Hamilton for the pizza and pasta, to OTT for the balloons, to the Original Mr Chef Uddingston for the £50 worth of food delivery, and to each and every one of the cake businesses who dropped off celebration cakes galore and also to Bubbles Childrenswear in Motherwell who are kindly donating a new outfit to Amelia also.”
The St Mary’s Primary pupil is now looking forward to returning to her primary three class when restrictions are lifted and starting a new chapter in her life.
Amelia was in primary one when she was diagnosed with the aggressive cancer just weeks before Christmas 2018.
Her parents endured months of heartache as they watched their little girl undergo dozens of bouts of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, medication and countless operations.
But the youngster carried on relentlessly, and will now undergo regular blood tests and check-ups to make sure that the cancer has not returned.
Karla, a self-employed hairdresser who provides hair replacements for cancer and alopecia patients, added: “Amelia is still on medication, besides her chemotherapy, because her immune system is still low. It will take her body a while to get back to normal.
“She will need to go to hospital for check-ups and bloods to make sure nothing is coming back as this is the big test when the chemotherapy stops to make sure the cancer doesn’t come back and the bone marrow is working as normal.
“Basically she will be monitored now for the rest of her life to make sure it doesn’t return but for now we are celebrating the end of chemotherapy.
“They have said that they give it five years from diagnosis, so by the time Amelia is 10 if it hasn’t come back then it’s likely that it won’t come back and she will be all clear and that will be another huge celebration.”