Cancer battler takes star turn with ’Nix
After a tough few months of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation treatment Saoirse Gaffney has been celebrating her sixth birthday in style with a cameo as the Wellington Phoenix’s mascot, the icing on the cake.
On her birthday on Thursday the Wellington football fan was treated to a cake, was sung Happy Birthday and was given a signed All Whites jersey by members of the Phoenix squad after captain Andrew Durante invited her along.
Her dad, David Gaffney, said she was excited and nervous about leading the team out when they play the Central Coast Mariners at Westpac Stadium today.
Saoirse’s star turn with the ‘Nix came about through her dad’s affiliation to the Liverpool Supporters Club of Wellington.
Gaffney said the club had been ‘‘absolutely fantastic’’ in helping raise money for surgery for the Wilms’ tumour, a cancer of the kidneys.
About $14,000 was raised so the family could travel and have the operation done by specialists at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee in August after 26 tumours spread around her kidney and lungs.
‘‘We wanted to do everything we could to save the kidneys,’’ Gaffney said.
In New Zealand the family were told about 40 per cent of one kidney could be saved while St. Jude’s, who pioneered treatment on the cancer, were able to save twothirds of one kidney and nearly all of the other.
Having the football fraternity’s backing had shown the family the community’s depth of compassion in the face of her aggressive cancer.
‘‘It’s really kind and it’s lifted our spirits knowing there’s people out there who really care,’’ Gaffney said.
Saoirse is entering her final round of chemo in a couple of weeks and after that her prognosis is unknown.
‘‘We’re going to continue to be optimistic and keep moving forward – it’s all we can do.’’