LITTLE MIA’S XMAS TOYS SURPRISE
LITTLE Mia Chambers is in for a Christmas to remember thanks to the generosity of Cardiff shoppers.
The annual festive toy appeal, run by St David’s shopping centre in Cardiff, has seen customers buy extra gifts for children in need since November 9.
Shoppers have left gifts at the incentre donation stations and a team of helpers have been delivering presents to specially deserving children over the festive season.
In early 2016, a cancerous lump was discovered in five-year-old Mia’s stomach and she was taken to Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital for Wales in Cardiff.
Further tests confirmed the lump was stage four high-risk neuroblastoma – a rare type of cancer that mostly affects babies and young children.
Since the diagnosis, Mia, from Merthyr Tydfil, has been through a series of aggressive treatments and procedures including three months of intensive chemotherapy, surgery, a stem cell transplant and radiotherapy.
People in Merthyr – and across South Wales – helped to raise an incredible £300,000 for her to access a clinical trial which she was able to start earlier this year.
Mia’s dad, Josh, said she was very excited to hear she would receive some extra gifts.
He said: “She wondered why she was having them but we just told her it was because she had been such a good girl this year.
“It’s nice for her. People have been extremely nice to Mia. They have given her a lot more than we expected.
“It’s a nice thing for people to think of.”
Josh also explained that Mia, five, is looking forward to Christmas but she has a busy time ahead as she turns six on Christmas Eve.
“She’s more excited for her birthday at the moment as she’s six on Christmas Eve so it sort of comes all at once for her,” he added.
“We are taking her out for her birthday.”
The toy appeal was first launched back in 2015, and has seen the generosity of shoppers donate thousands of gifts over the years.
This year, 20 charities benefited from the appeal and it received more than 10,000 donations from kindhearted shoppers.
On Thursday, gifts were also donated to children at Ty Gwyn Special School in Cardiff.
Head teacher of Ty Gwyn school, Kevin Tansley, said they were “absolutely delighted” to receive the donations.
He said: “It’s very kind of them to do this at this particular time.
“We are extremely grateful to them to think of us as the children here are extremely special.
“They have complex learning needs and it’s so nice of them to think of us.”
Some of the toys were also donated to Otis Bowie Earls who was born three and a half months early.
He was so poorly that nurses said he was “growing his angel wings” ready to ascend to heaven.
But with support of neonatal staff at the University Hospital of Wales he made incredible progress and could now be discharged home in the new year.
Mum Adrienne Earls, from Canton, Cardiff, was due to give birth on Thursday, December 7, but ended up welcoming tiny Otis into the world on August 31 weighing just 1lb 4oz.
She said the family was “thrilled” to hear that Otis would receive some Christmas goodies.
Adrienne said: “Otis and I were absolutely thrilled to receive the kind donations of toys.
“Otis feels spoilt rotten by the kindness of others and the donations have truly helped to make Otis’ first Christmas very special.”